Β Β Β Β Β Β Jenn Sedor of CarlyleΒ says her inclusion in the ranks of the nominees for CBC Saskatchewan's Future 40 for 2016 is βvery humbling,β adding that her work as coordinator for non-profit organization Cornerstone Family and Youth is inspired by the words βempathyβ and βcommunity.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI'm very thankful I was nominated,β says Sedor, 30. βIt's very humbling. To see my face on the CBC website was pretty surprising. And the photo they used was taken at the Canadian Women's Foundation event in Toronto in November (2015) were I was asked to speak to them about girls' programming. I gave a snapshot of what we do with the CFY Girls Group here and we represented Carlyle to Canada.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ The Girls Group Mentoring program Sedor founded in Carlyle has since been used by the Canadian Women's Foundation as a model for girls' groups across Canada.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Sedor says she was drawn to a career in community service thanks to βa wonderful guidance counsellor.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThat's when it happened,β she says. βI was 15 and sorting life out. I was a pretty entitled kid. I had a good life growing up. I was raised by two parents-my dad looked after us at home when we were young-and my mom worked.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βWhen I became a teenager-for whatever reason-I just didn't feel like I fit in. I was a really snot-nosed teenager who told this wonderful guidance counsellor: 'I'm bored. There's nothing to do.'β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThe guidance counsellor replied: 'Are you sure there's nothing to do? Have you solved world hunger yet?'β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI was never bored from that moment on,β says Sedor. βThere's always something to do and I became a very active youth after that,β adding:βI really wanted to figure out life.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Sedor earned a post-diploma certificate in Executive Leadership in Non-Profits, but says her career path started not with university, but instead, with a temporary placement at Regina's Brown Communications, which led her to jobs at Regina's MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Saskatchewan Arts Board, among others.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI learned that I really wanted to contribute to communities,β says Sedor. βAnd every job I've had, every experience I've had, has confirmed that.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βEmpathy is a huge factor in what I do,β she adds. βI've been really fortunate, but I've been the woman struggling with post-partum depression, and I've also been that young mom walking through the door of a playgroup for the first time. I've been the quiet person filled with anxiety. I've been the young woman job-hunting with no experience or contacts trying to get a start.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThese are all experiences I hold close to my heart and even though I've been so fortunate, I can also really empathize with people.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βAnd as a girl with teenage angst, I wanted to grow up and be the person who could guide youth like me.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ In addition to her work with Girls Group Mentoring, Sedor's CFY initiatives also include: core programming, playroom activities, early childhood and after-school art programs. Joan Bue-who nominated Sedor for the Future 40 honour-states: βShe is also involved in the organization of CFY's summer day camp, special events, after-school programs, safety programs, family outreach, family carnival, community Halloween event, (and) Festival of Trees.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ The wife of Tim (Sedor) and mother of Lily, 8, and Tayo, 6, is also a member of Carlyle Town Council and serves on the boards of the Carlyle Library, the Carlyle Homespun Committee and the town's Rusty Relics Museum, as well as supporting Shriners International Children's Hospitals with her family.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI couldn't do what I do without the support of my family and extended family,β says Sedor.Β βWe're especially lucky to have two active, involved grandparents right in this community, as well as help from friends, cousins and aunts.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThe key to juggling all of this is those great people and turning it off when I'm with my family. I've learned you can't juggle family time.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI don't do idle time, but I like everything that I do. I don't have a set list of goals that I want to accomplish, but I don't want to waste time and I want to feel what I'm doing is worthwhile,β says Sedor.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI've been very fortunate and I'm just trying to do my part to build a family-focused community.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Β
Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
