Fort McMurray (January 15, 2021)— Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta and Bouchier are pleased to announce the final nominee in the Women of Inspiration 2020-2021 Series.

The committee has selected 18-year-old Shreeya Patel, she was chosen because of her efforts related to empowering girls, leadership and involvement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Patel is the General Assembly Leader for the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Youth (MACOY). Through her work with MACOY she has successfully helped launch the first Youth and Health Conference after noticing a large discrepancy between men and women in the health sector. The event revolved around nutrition, mental health, and different occupations in the field.

Patel exhibits a wide range of leadership skills, most noticeably through her involvement in sport– being the co-captain for both varsity volleyball and basketball at Westwood Community High School. She also holds an executive position in Queens in Code, an all female coding club that provides a safe space and partnership for women who want to explore coding. Queens in Code has moved beyond the Wood Buffalo Region, expanding to Edmonton, Ontario and Saskatchewan with interest from the United States of America.

Patel has faced barriers due to her high involvement in the STEM Field and culture, but she does not shy away from these challenges. Instead, she puts herself in the middle advocating for change and taking action.

Patel’s message to younger girls is to keep their confidence and belief in themselves strong.

“I played co-ed basketball for a long time.I always tried to put myself forward, and every time I’d be last picked. I kept playing the sport because I loved it and gained confidence from it. Passion is what drove me to these types of things,” said Patel. “Keeping your passions with confidence, it will just sky rocket from there.”

Patel and the other four Women of Inspiration Nominees will be honoured virtually on March 8th– International Women’s Day.