Finalist Miss Canada 2022
Aïssatou Odia B
Hello,
My name is Aïssatou Odia and I live in Mississauga, Ontario. I am currently a fourth year student at the University of Toronto. My hobbies include writing, reading and watching Old Hollywood movies ! Curiosity, wisdom and optimism are values that define me well – I am always eager to learn new ideas and concepts.
Throughout my life, I haved lived in the United States, in Montréal, in France and in Conakry. My nomadic upbringing fostered a wanderlust in me that I can’t seem to get rid of, thankfully.
As a Political Science major, I update myself with world events quite frequently. In my free time, I write articles for the Arts & Culture section of The Varsity – my University’s official student newspaper.
I recently joined Amnesty International Canada’s Lobbying and Advocacy team to learn the art of being a catalyst for change. Through Amnesty International Canada, I’ve also sent letters to government officials and bureaucrats who have infringed human rights. Letter writing is one of the many ways Amnesty International Canada supports disenfranchised people.
Since August 2019, I have been helping children and teenagers from all ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds overcome their academic difficulties in French. I cherish my job as a French tutor and feel honored to be able to encourage bilingualism in the Canadian youth, for bilingualism is a core Canadian value.
When compared to other educational systems in the world, it can seem like Canada has nothing to complain about. But the inequality is more insidious – it is called the achievement gap. Though school has been democratized, opportunities haven’t, especially for the economically vulnerable communities and individuals.
Thus, my goal is to help close that gap by using pedagogy to offer free and accessible tutoring sessions to the homeless youth, children who are dependent on vulnerable households, children of immigrants and BIPOC children. If elected, I will prioritize the education of marginalized children and teenagers in order to build their confidence. I believe achievement has little to do with intelligence and lots to do with accessibility.
I dream of a world where a child’s background won’t affect their future. A world where systemic barriers are a thing of the past.
« If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children».
— Confucius