In society today, digital media has such a huge impact on each individual person and it gives everyone an identity. Creating a positive digital footprint is very important because it is permanently on your record and can be viewed by anyone forever after it is posted. There are many things that I can do to create a digital footprint that represents who I am in a positive and responsible way. The first thing to do when posting is think "I am" and only post things that represent who you are as a person, that way you do not have anything negative put out about yourself that others can view and judge you based on. "I am fun"; this statement can be interpreted in various ways and could be either negative or positive. Being fun could be a picture of you on a swing set, as that could not possibly be something that could be viewed as bad. However, a picture of you out drinking with friends can show you as a fun person but to those who view it, it could display a bad message about you. With that being said the next way to be cautious when you add to your digital footprint is to only say or post things that you would say in person. Or what I like to use in extreme cases is only post things that you would be alright with your grandmother seeing. This provides you with a strong realization of what you are putting out into the World Wide Web and can make huge differences for those who see your digital profiles. The third and probably most powerful thing to remember when making your mark with your digital footprint is to me MINDFUL. Being mindful is what can get you a job over that girl who posted pictures of her at the bar dressed inappropriately, it can tell people who you really are instead of giving you a permanent mask of negative images and messages that you temporarily said or did. Digital media makes the world a vast and scary place and it is very beneficial for everyone to know the impact that their digital footprint makes on the World Wide Web. Therefore, think before you post because people are always watching.

I think in developed countries, your bedroom says a lot about who you are. I know my room describes me perfectly, and everyone who sees it knows instantly that it is my room. But what about other kids around the world? Do they have the luxury of decorating their room to describe who they are? Sadly they don't. Kids in Africa sleep on grass mats in rooms that don't have walls. Other kids live in small, dark, damp rooms with concrete walls. Or they sleep in huts made of wood and leaves that are held up by tree branches and they sleep under animal skin blankets. So why do I get the opportunity to express myself by where I sleep and not these other kids? Every kid should have the chance to put up a poster of something they like, or cuddle under their favourite blanket, or have that one sentimental piece of furniture to represent them. That troubles me, because as I sit in my bedroom and look at my big bed, my pictures hanging on the walls, my closet full of clothes, my desk with writing utensils, and my rugby ball...... I look at pictures of where other kids around the world sleep and I realize not only how lucky I am but also how selfish I am. Why do I need all of this to represent who I am, when other kids have nothing, only themselves. And I wonder, what if every kid like me took something from their room and could send it to a child who doesn't have a fancy room like us? Maybe then, every kid can have a room that represents themself.

In Bangladesh, Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested for illegally building 3 floors of his 8-storey building which collapsed this week and has caused at least 362 deaths already. This building is in rubble and they are still trying to rescue people but sadly most of them will die. This tragic "accident" if you can call it that, is very difficult for me to understand..... how someone can decide to build there building illegally to save money and get richer? Did he not realize that hundreds of peoples lives were on the line because of this? It is scary to imagine if someone had built my house wrong because they could profit off of it and then me and my family would all die because it could not function properly. My heart goes out to everyone affected by such a horrible disaster.

I cannot believe that there is a possibility for a casino to be built in Waterloo Region. Personally I think that is a bad idea because it may bring in lots of people but that poses an important question; what kind of people will be attracted to our area? Kitchener - Waterloo is a big area but I don't think that it needs a casino to make itself bigger, Kitchener already has many unique things about it and putting a giant casino in the city may provide more job opportunities or more money for the city/ government but it will also take away from the greatness of Waterloo Region. To me, Kitchener- Waterloo is home. I think that making the city another destination for gambling will take that "home sweet home" feeling away from many residents of Kitchener - Waterloo. This is a very controversial issue and I hope people will realize that Waterloo Region does not need a casino to be important.

Casino in Waterloo Region

The biggest current national issue that troubles me is the bombing at the Boston Marathon. It's horrifying how things this tragic can happen anywhere. I remember waking up last week and my dad was watching the news and he said, "ohh this is just horrifying, I can't  even look at the scene." And I was unsure of what he meant until I saw the news, 2 bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon, 3 lives were lost, hundreds were injured and thousands were in shock. Why does stuff like this happen? I have no idea how to explain why people decide to bomb a city which will kill and take limbs off of people. I've seen pictures of the bombing in a Sports Illustrated magazine and the sights are horrible. I know some people who were at the marathon but finished 20 minutes before the explosions..... Can you imagine that 20 minutes determined whether you would live or die? That is one of the scariest thoughts to me. Why things like this happen in our world.... I will never understand.

I'm super excited for this day. Like its crazy how excited I am. I love conferences with guest speakers and I'm so happy that my class is going. I think I'm most looking forward to Mr. Greenberg. He's a pediatric oncologist. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I want to become a nurse specializing in oncology. The reason for that being I have a little friend whose eight, and she was a perfectly healthy child... One day she found a lump on the side of her neck and her parents took her in to get it checked and sure enough..... it was cancer. I remember hearing from my mom that my sweet little darling friend was diagnosed with cancer and right at that moment I bawled. Why does this kind of thing happen to a perfectly healthy young child? It's not supposed to happen to kids, she would miss out on so much of her childhood! So she started doing chemo and radiation treatments and I visited her as often as I could, although it was hard because she was so sick all the time. The doctors had said that she would need chemo treatments for a year and then they would see where she was at. As treatments continued, her long, curly blonde hair began to fall out and of course as a child that is a big deal.... and I totally understood why that upset her, cause girls are all about the hair. Her mom got her an adorable blonde wig, that looked exactly like her hair!! And I think not even 7 months later, the doctors said her cancer was completely gone! I remember when I first heard she was cancer free, I was soooo happy! And now she is as healthy as a horse! But I just remember how horrible the feeling of my little friend having cancer was.... I always asked myself "Why her? Why couldn't it have been me?" .......But things have a way of working themselves out. It is because of her that I want to be an oncology nurse, so I can help others through the tough battles of cancer. And THAT is why I'm excited to hear Mr. Greenberg speak at Ted x Waterloo!

I am a creative person.... I like to try new things and discover different ways to do things. I am really outgoing and I absolutely love to meet new people and make new friends. When something bothers me I stand up for what I believe in because I have strong morals. I am pretty much an open book for those who really know me.