Day 15 – The Last Day of High School

Today was Day 15 of my Happiness Run for Clean Water and Gender Equality, but it was also a huge personal milestone, my last day of high school classes ever! It seems like it was just the other day when my family took our last “first day of school photo” 🎓🥳

Because I’m in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, our classes end much earlier than everyone else’s, so while most students are still going to school for a few more weeks, I’m officially finished classes. And honestly? I’m so happy. The past two years have been intense, with long nights of studying around curling and volleyball, endless deadlines, internal assessments, and so many group chats trying to figure out what assignments were actually due. To finally be finished classes feels like a massive weight has been lifted.

Of course, I’m not totally free yet, I still have my IB exams coming up in May, but today felt like the beginning of the end. To mark the moment, I went for a run along the Cobequid Trail, with my dad biking beside me (a classic combo at this point). The trail has kind of become my place to think, breathe, and process everything during this journey, and today was one of those runs I’ll probably always remember.

As I ran, I thought about what it means to be closing this chapter of my life. High school is over. That’s wild. I’ve grown so much, not just academically, but as a person. This project has a lot to do with that. It’s pushed me to speak out, take initiative, and connect with something much bigger than myself.

I also couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I am to have made it to this point. In places like Tanzania, where my project is focused, many girls never get the chance to finish high school. Sometimes it’s because they have to help at home, sometimes it’s because of poverty, and a lot of the time it’s because they’re walking several kilometers each day just to collect water for their families. That means missed classes, less time to study, and more pressure to drop out early.

Access to clean water isn’t just about health, it’s also about education, opportunity, and freedom. When a community gets clean water, girls stay in school longer. They have more choices for their future. That’s why I’m doing this run and why I’m raising money to install a NanoFilter Water Centre which will employ a woman with a living wage. Every student deserves the chance to have a “last day of high school” and feel the same kind of joy and pride I felt today.

So while today was a personal win, it was also a reminder of why this project matters. I’m not just running to celebrate my own future, I’m running to help create better futures for others too.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey and helping me reach my goal of providing clean water and opportunity to students in Tanzania. Only 6 days left to go!