16,000 Manitoban students had a day of inspiration at this year’s WE Day.

 

Held last week in Winnipeg, students got a chance to hear from a number of speakers including singer Tom Jackson, actor Henry Winkler, and motivational speaker JR Martinez.

 

RD Parker’s social justice group, H3, attended We Day. (Photo courtesy Amy Ricketts)

 

33 staff and students from RD Parker attended, including gr.11 student Priyanka Vyas:

"It’s a very welcoming event and it really inspires you, so all day long they’ll have a bunch of speakers, a bunch of performances and essentially it’s like you’re at a huge concert but it really motivates you to go out there and create a positive change in the world".

 

Rinelle Harper, who was attacked in Winnipeg last year, also shared her story. Priyanka says Harper had a good message:

 

"How she went back to her regular life was incredible. She didn’t let this incident define her as a person, and as she said at We Day, that she didn’t choose for this to happen to her but she is choosing to speak up against violence".

 

(Photo courtesy Amy Ricketts)

 

Priyanka was also one of the few students who got a “shout-out” during the event. WE Day recognized the work she has been doing, and her picture was displayed on the jumbotron screen.