Grace Estrada: "Get involved with the community. Volunteer!...“It will bring you joy, friends, knowledge."
“Change can be difficult,” says Grace Estrada, “but through connection and necessary supports, change is also empowering”.
Reflecting on her journey of discovery, Grace muses that she discovered her true calling later than her peers.
“I did not have the opportunity to truly know and accept myself until later in life,” she says.
Growing up in Guayaquil, on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, Grace first pursued a career in primary healthcare and worked with the family business.
Throughout her career, however, she became aware of deep social inequalities that were really at the root of poor health outcomes.
“I grew up at the intersection of neurodiversity, gender and undiagnosed mental health challenges, in a very unequal, global south society,” says Grace. “My personal experiences, along with a high capacity for empathy, enabled me to grasp how social systems were wrong and should change.”
Hoping to find and contribute to a more equitable society, she moved to Canada in 2019, where she first undertook a post-secondary diploma in Liberal Arts, and later, after transferring her school credits, a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development, at Brescia University College in London.
When asked if she had been able to achieve her goals in coming to Canada, Grace feels strongly that she is on the right path.
In her first year at university, she had the opportunity to co-produce a mindfulness and anxiety management video tutorial for women served by My Sister’s Place, a non-profit that offers services to women and children victims of violence and abuse.
Reflecting on her journey of discovery, Grace muses that she discovered her true calling later than her peers.
“I did not have the opportunity to truly know and accept myself until later in life,” she says.
Growing up in Guayaquil, on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, Grace first pursued a career in primary healthcare and worked with the family business.
Throughout her career, however, she became aware of deep social inequalities that were really at the root of poor health outcomes.
“I grew up at the intersection of neurodiversity, gender and undiagnosed mental health challenges, in a very unequal, global south society,” says Grace. “My personal experiences, along with a high capacity for empathy, enabled me to grasp how social systems were wrong and should change.”
Hoping to find and contribute to a more equitable society, she moved to Canada in 2019, where she first undertook a post-secondary diploma in Liberal Arts, and later, after transferring her school credits, a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development, at Brescia University College in London.
When asked if she had been able to achieve her goals in coming to Canada, Grace feels strongly that she is on the right path.
In her first year at university, she had the opportunity to co-produce a mindfulness and anxiety management video tutorial for women served by My Sister’s Place, a non-profit that offers services to women and children victims of violence and abuse.
As part of the Agents of Change division at Brescia, she delivered anti-oppression, equity, and Inclusion seminars to students. She was also a co-host of the Brescia podcast “The Journey’s Gift,” where London female leaders shared their stories of challenges, lessons, and ongoing growth.
Grace was working as a Public Policy Assistant with Pillar Nonprofit Network at the time of our interview.
Grace says she’s proud of her work as a volunteer peer leader with the London Intercommunity Health Centre, where she works with immigrant women in community-building and health empowerment.
For Grace, the move to Canada allowed her to thrive thanks to a multicultural environment, but it was not without sacrifice.
Dealing with isolation and missing her family, she had to contend with the COVID deaths of her mother and grandmother, while not being able to travel home to support her father who was also ill with the virus.
In addition, Grace found the change in seasons took her some time to get used to, especially coming from the warm, tropical weather of the South Pacific.
When asked what she misses the most, Grace says, “being physically close to my father, siblings, and niblings, the warm and relaxed weather of Guayaquil, and the traditional foods I grew up with”.
She credits her partner, Miguel, for being her rock and helping her to brave the hard times, “He's my family here,” says Grace with a smile.
Her advice to newcomers to London echoes her own experience: “Get involved with the community. Volunteer!” she says.
“It will bring you joy, friends, knowledge of helpful resources, and many opportunities for integration with your community.”
Grace was working as a Public Policy Assistant with Pillar Nonprofit Network at the time of our interview.
Grace says she’s proud of her work as a volunteer peer leader with the London Intercommunity Health Centre, where she works with immigrant women in community-building and health empowerment.
For Grace, the move to Canada allowed her to thrive thanks to a multicultural environment, but it was not without sacrifice.
Dealing with isolation and missing her family, she had to contend with the COVID deaths of her mother and grandmother, while not being able to travel home to support her father who was also ill with the virus.
In addition, Grace found the change in seasons took her some time to get used to, especially coming from the warm, tropical weather of the South Pacific.
When asked what she misses the most, Grace says, “being physically close to my father, siblings, and niblings, the warm and relaxed weather of Guayaquil, and the traditional foods I grew up with”.
She credits her partner, Miguel, for being her rock and helping her to brave the hard times, “He's my family here,” says Grace with a smile.
Her advice to newcomers to London echoes her own experience: “Get involved with the community. Volunteer!” she says.
“It will bring you joy, friends, knowledge of helpful resources, and many opportunities for integration with your community.”