In today’s case study we asked, ‘What are you passionate about?’ Thank you to everyone who took part!
Emily, 22, a support staff worker is passionate about standing up for yourself (and others): ‘I let people walk over me and take advantage of me for far too long. Once I found how easy it is to stand up for myself, I haven’t stopped. Anything that doesn’t sit right with me now, whether it’s directed at me or not, I’ll say something.’
Libby, 21, an English language student is passionate about showing compassion for animals and caring for the environment: ‘Once you educate yourself on the harm to animals and the environment, I don’t think you’ll ever go back to eating meat again. Currently, I am vegetarian but I hope to become vegan soon as I am making more and more steps. As humans, we need to do better.’
Lauren, 20, a nutrition student is passionate about mental health and nutrition, particularly when the two intertwine as an eating disorder: ‘I have personal experience in this area and have sadly seen the prevalence of EDs rising over the years. From my course, I know how important food / good nutrition is and want to help others understand this too.’
Lisa, 21, a student-athlete, is passionate about football: ‘It has been a part of my life since I was very young. It has brought me friends that I will have for life and so many happy memories. It motivates me and gives me something to be excited about. There are so many reasons as to why I am passionate about football but to put it simply, it brings so much happiness into my life and the people it has brought me is something I am so very grateful for.’
Milly, 21, a Graphic Communication Design student is passionate about live music: ‘I love everything about it, the energy, the people, the venues and the community – it is a great way to socialise and meet like-minded people.’
Rachel, 21, a buyers admin assistant is passionate about gym/fitness: ‘Working out has completely transformed me both mentally and physically. I love the feeling I get after a workout knowing I have done something to benefit myself. The gym is where I feel happy, strong and confident!’
Louise, 45, a Senior Director in the Pharmaceutical Industry is passionate about making the workplace more inclusive, particularly around disability inclusion: ‘I have a disability under the disability discrimination act, and I have had to prove my worth, unlike colleagues without a disability. Life can be challenging enough without that and I think it is time to stop focusing on what we may not be able to do, but what we can do and the diverse thinking we may be able to offer by our own experiences.’
Sian, 20, a History student is passionate about her career: ‘I am really passionate about building a good career for myself after my studies because of all the work and effort I’ve put into my degree and trying to give myself a good start in the world of work’.
Katie, 20, a full-time student is passionate about baking/cooking: ‘I love the idea that I get to create some fun and delicious recipes from scratch. During this whole pandemic, I have been having fun in the kitchen and creating dishes. It is also something I’ve been passionate about ever since I was little. The only summer camps I ever went to were cooking and baking camps. I learned many things like what pairs well with certain ingredients and I learned how to decorate a cake (still practising this). Just having some creativity and inspiration as well as trying new things is why I love cooking and baking so much!’
Hannah, 22, a commerce student is passionate about helping people: ‘I have been in a position in my life where I have needed help and I was very lucky to have people I knew (and didn’t) by my side to help me through that difficult time. I realised that I wanted to do that locally and cross-continental and have been working towards that goal since. I’m always there to help a friend or a random person if they need it. After I graduate from university, I want to work for an organisation that will allow me to help on a larger scale. But until then I will continue to do what I do.’
Jessica, 29, a tattoo artist, is passionate about Japanese culture: ‘I really love embracing new cultures, particularly, Japanse. I love the food, culture, religion and lifestyle philosophies.’
Emilia, 21, a project scheduler is passionate about her job as: ‘it motivates me to keep working hard’.
Nandini, 20, an International Tourism Management student is passionate about succeeding and finding her career: ‘Growing up, I’ve never been much of an academic person. Studying and essays have always just been difficult for me to do but I am a very hardworking person. I know that once I finish university and start working full-time that I’m going to go through many jobs before I find my forever career, whatever that may be. I just want to make sure that in every stage up till then, that I’ve worked to my best and learnt as much as I can so that I can implement these skills and do well for myself while loving what I do because I believe that we need to work to live rather than live to work!’
Danish, 23, a radiology student is passionate about having a good time: ‘as it releases stress and steam in order for you to function more effectively.’
Charmaine, 22, a French and English Law student is passionate about languages: ‘when I am learning a language, I enjoy the element of always having more to learn. I also love learning more about different cultures through the language’.
Dr Tasha, 30, is passionate about helping people live healthier, happy lives: ‘I have personally battled mental health issues since I was a child. Then, finally, I had a breakthrough, which allowed me to take control of my health. My goal is to help others take control of their own health. I do this by increasing awareness of mental health issues and provide health tips that can be easily incorporated into their everyday life.’
Joshua, 23, a Commercial and Residential Paint company owner is passionate about making the world better than he found it: ‘If I can accomplish this, I don’t have to worry about dying because I did what I could while I was here.’
Ryan, 20, a chef, is passionate about football: ‘It’s my getaway. Whenever it’s on the TV, I always watch it, I follow all football I can but I mainly try and attend as many games as I can because it’s just a great way to get away from everything and just be in my happy place with the routine of going to a pub beforehand talking about the ifs and buts about the game and then the experience of being inside the stadium is sensational, there’s not a better feeling then a packed out stadium for me.’
Emily, 22, a child care worker is passionate about child care: ‘The early years are incredibly important in determining what kind of adult a child will grow into. Early intervention is so important to help children that are struggling.‘
Dave, 59, sleep coach and expert, is passionate about helping teenagers find their ‘why’: ‘Because if we don’t help the next generation create a more meaningful world… we are doomed.’
Jess, 20, a Psychology and Dance student is passionate about dance: ‘It translates into so many things. Dance could be in a club having fun with your friends. It could be a performance you watch that makes you feel inspired. It could be a way of releasing energy and being active. It could be a social thing that unites different cultures. It could be a creative or emotional outlet for someone. Anyone can dance and the possibilities are endless.’
Chloe, 22, a personal shopper, is passionate about her future: ‘I know big and exciting things are coming up and I’m using the time I have now to prepare for it. One way I’m doing this is trying to get an apprenticeship in the NHS so in the next year or two I can hopefully get my own house.’
Sam, 21, a Journalism and English Literature student is passionate about music: ‘because if there’s one universal language, it’s music. It’s an understanding through feeling and I love it because of how it makes people feel as it’s a form of expression that knows no bounds.’
Deegan, 21, a footballer, is passionate about football: ‘I’ve grew up playing it all my life and really enjoy socialising with the competitive aspect. As well as being very fun, I also find it to be good for my health and keeping in shape.’
Julia, 22, a student is passionate about embracing her Italian Heritage: ‘3 of my 4 grandparents are either Italian immigrants or children of Italian immigrants; a fact obscured by my inheritance of my paternal grandfather’s last name. I’m passionate about embracing my Italian Heritage because I believe that some of it has been lost to time and the culture of the country. Though my Grandparents, who immigrated to Canada stayed true to their roots, my Nonno (My Mom’s dad) was the cultural ambassador of our family— spearheading Italian cultural traditions like winemaking and bocce playing— and he had a stroke before I was born. Without him to champion our culture, the ties sort of weakened; it wasn’t until much later in my life, about 8 years ago, that I got to travel to Italy with my family and meet all my relatives there, that I became passionate about embracing my Italian Heritage. After that, it felt like I was making up for the lost time. My Mom and I started our annual tradition of making tomato sauce, and I began making pasta by hand and baking Italian treats. I also started learning the language. Unlike my Mom, who was bilingual from birth, I had to struggle (and still struggle) to learn Italian, but I managed to get by when I went to Italy by myself in 2018. My family has so much history and so much family in Italy, and I want to ensure that these connections and memories will last long after my grandparents pass. My Italian heritage is something of which I am truly proud and I’m passionate about diving deep into this culture.’