I am: Phil Jansson, 19 years old from Trenton

My story: “I started volunteering in Grade 11. Initially, I wanted to keep myself busy but then got involved in social justice projects and felt that I should give back to the community.

I got involved with Habitat for Humanity in Grade 11 and helped to raise funds for the organization. As part of the build crew, I went to Raleigh in North Carolina, for a week, on my first trip. The following year I went to Pennsylvania and worked on building a home there. In Grade 12, I took on a larger organizational role by helping out the local group and becoming a representative of Habitat for Humanity. I also went to Virginia on another build and all of these have been amazing learning experiences."

Learning experience: “By travelling so much, I’ve met lots of people who need help. And there are so many that want to help. You have to unite the two somehow.

Other than that, my biggest challenge was managing time. Grades 11 and 12 were the busiest years in my life! In Grade 11 and 12, I was on the Student Council and in Grade 13, I was the Student Trustee. I guess it just got easier once I got the hang of it. My teachers were very understanding and supportive because they knew how involved I was in various volunteer projects ”

Get inspired: “Get involved in things that you’re interested in or you care about. There are so many people who need your help and it’s pretty easy to volunteer because there are so many organizations that are looking for volunteers.”

Phil has won the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District Board’s Secondary School Student Volunteer of the Year Award in 2007 and also received an award as the runner up for the Maurice Rollins Youth Leadership Award in 2008. He is now studying political science at the University of Ottawa.