Carolyn Horwood

Biography

Carolyn Horwood is pursuing a novel dual degree program in both Health and Society with a concentration in Sociology, and International Indigenous Studies — the first of its kind in the history of the University of Calgary. Carolyn has taken substantial initiative to expand her capacities to promote Indigenous and community-focused health equity in both local and international contexts.

Through her coursework, Carolyn has been involved in projects exploring local experiences of older Indigenous adults experiencing homelessness in their ability to access primary health care and, during her Honours thesis, exploring Indigenous health equity in data system design on a provincial level. Outside University, Carolyn co-founded the Canadian Adolescent Sexual Violence Prevention Society (CASVPS), a non-profit organization which delivered a series of workshops to educate undergraduate students about sexual violence and consent. Students left the workshop with increased understandings of consent and more knowledge of available sexual violence resources on campus. Carolyn is dedicated in seeking to prevent future occurrences of sexual violence.

Carolyn is a confident and well-developed leader and has committed herself throughout her undergraduate studies to developing strong leadership skills, which she has applied to the University of Calgary community. In 2021, Carolyn co-led the SDGA's annual Sustainable Development Goals Summit, organizing a week-long event that connected students, community members, and leaders in the sustainability sphere to discuss implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A notable outcome of the Summit included the implementation of several student sustainability projects on campus. As a result of her work, the SDGA was recognized in Canada’s 2021 Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda. 

Carolyn served as student-faculty liaison committee representative for a two-year term advocating for student accessibility concerns. Carolyn has additionally showcased notable wisdom in seeking creative avenues for community engagement, particularly in language learning, and has demonstrated interest in learning many languages. As a published poet, Carolyn’s work seeks to inspire individuals to take sustainable action. Her enthusiastic motivation for connecting with people is impressive and speaks to her capacity to connect with a global community in pursuit of making a difference in the world.