As a graduate of our 2024 Fellowship Program, Maria represents the transformative impact that Results Canada helps make possible. Her growth and accomplishments show how the right tools, mentorship, and community can empower someone to become a more confident and effective advocate for change.
Maria’s journey with us was one of passion, dedication, and overcoming the odds. And she wants to tell you all about it in her own words in her beautiful letter below.
Dear friend,
I’ve been busy. Really busy. I am an advocate and community leader, and I fight hard in my spare time to fight extreme poverty, homelessness, gender-based violence, and more if you can believe it. My tenacity is in part because I’ve been through so many of these issues myself and am determined to change things for others, but I also wouldn’t be the effective, outspoken advocate I am today if it wasn’t for the Results Canada Fellowship Program. It truly changed my life.
My lived experiences are a big part of why this program mattered so much. My mom was a single teen mom and I experienced homelessness, struggled with addictions, and was trafficked against my will at 17. Later, an accident left me with a traumatic brain injury. But that didn’t stop me.
I was the first in my family to go to university and am now a public servant in government. Being accepted into the Fellowship program was a huge achievement. It helped me realize that my lived experiences are valuable, that I do have power, and that I can help others.
The Fellowship is a one-of-a-kind invigorating and inclusive learning process that gives aspiring leaders, advocates, and those who don't know where to start the tools to succeed. I learned not only technical skills, but it also gave me that push and foundation to instrumentalize my voice and to put myself out there unapologetically, to not be afraid to take up space.
And it’s free! You have to pay for a lot of leadership programs, which was not something I could afford. The Fellowship is truly unique because the information is shared so openly, there are no hidden secrets. It’s also so welcoming and inclusive, no matter where you are in your advocacy experience.
My cohort even watched our advocacy come to fruition. We asked Canada to fund Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and it happened! We pushed for months with so many emails, letters to the editor, op-eds, etc. You don't know if anyone's going to pay attention, you don't know if anybody's actually reading your emails, right?
And then being able to see the results? Wow. And we did it as a team, as a collective, as friends. After graduation, Results asked me to speak at the funding announcement with the Minister and other leaders in attendance! I felt so grateful and empowered. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
Since then, my advocacy has not stopped. I’ve represented Canada as a youth delegate at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, helped found organizations like the Young Canadian Changemakers Association and Latin American Trade Association of Canada, ran events, volunteered in my community, and spoken out against injustice with confidence the Fellowship helped build.
I’m also a volunteer with Results Canada of course! International assistance is integral to building a better world. Without it, there would be millions of people that just wouldn't exist. No person should be forgotten, everybody should be included and get access to what they need.
That’s why I want you to know this: Results is investing into young leaders; the next generation of decision makers who are going to change the world.
Sincerely,
Maria Alejandra Guardado
