Patricia Celan - People's Choice Winner
1. Which celebrity do you think you look like?
My favourite quote is, "Give. But don’t allow yourself to be used. Love. But don’t allow your heart to be abused. Trust. But don’t be naive. Listen. But don’t lose your own voice." This quote speaks to the necessity for balance. We must be careful to not be taken advantage of or to lose ourselves, while continuing to give each other the benefit of the doubt and treat each other with kindness and support.
2. Which do your prefer? Talking on the phone or texting?
What gets me excited about life is seeing the results of helping people who are struggling. For me, that typically means advising friends through relationship difficulties, treating patients at work who are debilitated by mental illness, or supporting someone in an abusive situation to escape the trauma. Watching people overcome their problems, fears, or adversity, and knowing I contributed, is very rewarding. The resiliency of the human spirit continues to inspire me.
3. What’s something you only do when you get bored?
If I could teach the world anything, it would be increased compassion. Humanity is capable of so much good, yet people often turn their empathy off because of differences such as gender, race, species, and more. I would like to teach people to consistently expand their empathy to everyone, recognizing that we are all living beings who are capable of love or suffering, and we are all worthy of equal compassion.
4. Are you overly loyal to any clothing brands?
If I didn’t know how old I am, I might assume that I am a couple decades older. Childhood experiences forced me to grow up too fast, so I have packed a lot of life into my young years, already accomplishing many of my goals. While I am grateful that facing adversity drove me to success, I hope to support and promote escaping abuse, because children deserve to be children for as long as possible.
5. What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?