Words Alive was ecstatic to partner with EY Canada this past June to welcome a whole new demographic of readers into our community! WIth EY Canada we have welcomed 32 new Page Turners, who have read a total of 81 hours and 4,788 pages. Thank you so much EY Canada for reading with us this past month. We hope you all continue reading with us in the future!
In honor of our EY readers, we would like to honor one of the most hardworking volunteers from EY as our Page Turner of the month. A big shout out to Melayna Beaudin, our July Page Turner of the Month! Thank you so much for all the effort you put into reading with us. Read on to learn a little about Melayna, including her super cool Book Instagram!
Hi there! My name is Melayna, and I’m from Vancouver, BC. I was a Page Turner for Words Alive during their partnership with my organization, EY. I read two books, Firekeeper’s Daughter and If This Gets Out. They were both incredible, and I could see them being really engaging books for high school students! I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Words Alive, this organization is doing amazing things for students and I will definitely read some more of their books in the future. Thank you!
Q: Can you give a brief introduction of who you are and what you do?
My name is Melayna, and I am an accounting intern in Vancouver. I just finished my third year of university, with one more year to go starting in September. I’m planning to pursue my CPA after graduation.
Q: What are some of your hobbies/interests?
My favourite hobby is reading! I actually started a book Instagram account last year to share my love for books (@melaynareads) and other than actually reading, chatting with book lovers through that platform has become a favourite past time. I am also fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world, and rain or shine, I love spending time outside.
Q: Has reading with Page Turners impacted your perspective on society or your community?
One of the books I read, Firekeeper’s Daughter, was about an Indigenous community. I grew up in a really small town, which was partially located on an Indigenous reserve. I’ve also been studying Indigenous business in school. Even with all my past experiences and learning, this book really broadened my perspective and taught me new things. It goes to show that you’re never done learning.
Q: What is your favorite book so far?
My favourite book was definitely The Firekeeper’s Daughter. It was hard to read at times, it covered a lot of difficult topics, but I feel that it is important to learn about these things because there are people to this day who are still experiencing them. Reading is an incredible way to educate yourself and broaden your perspectives, and this book did that for me. I loved it.
Q: Do you have any books you’re looking forward to reading in the future?
A friend of mine highly recommended the book The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.. It is a historical fiction about two enslaved men who fall in love, and she told me that it is a truly magnificent novel; I can’t wait to read it!