Ashley Carpenter is a difference maker.

On Oct. 5, she will be a medal bearer in the Saint John section of the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay. Carpenter is one of 7,000 difference makers chosen from across Canada to participate in this event.

However, the University of New Brunswick Saint John student remains modest about her achievements.

“I was really flattered when I heard about it,” Carpenter, who was recommended to be part of the relay by a UNB Saint John staff member, said.  “It’s quite an inspiration to have people from all across the country take part in something that’s so monumental.”

Volunteers in motion

The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay began on August 24, 2011 in Newfoundland and will conclude in Vancouver on May 22, 2012.  The 12,000-kilometre tour will retrace the tracks of Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion Canada tour.

Rick Hansen, a paraplegic, began his Man in Motion tour in March 1985 and it continued until May 1987.   During the tour, Hansen wheeled himself through 34 countries, four continents, and over 40,000 kilometres.  He raised $26 million for spinal cord research.

“I think it’s really amazing that they’re recreating what Rick Hansen did with his Man in Motion tour,” Carpenter said.  “It’s really cool that all of these people who give back to their communities can help out with this relay and raise awareness about volunteering and people with special needs.  It’s really inspiring to me.”

Carpenter was recruited to take part in the 25th Anniversary Relay due to her extensive volunteering and involvement at UNB Saint John.

A fourth-year biology honours student, Carpenter is one of the science representatives on the Student Representative Council (SRC) and is this year’s president of the UNB Student Volunteer Unit (SVU).  The goal of the SVU is to help with community initiatives and enhance the lives of students.

Carpenter has also been involved in the Promise Partnership, which pairs UNB Saint John students with children from a local school for tutoring.

“I feel like I give a little bit back to the community,” Carpenter said.  “My involvement is a really big blessing to me.  I just feel like I get a lot more than I’m giving.”

An incentive to give back

A Saint John native, Carpenter attended UNB Saint John on a scholarship.

“I’ve been really blessed with my whole experience at UNB Saint John,” she said.  “For one, I think I’m getting a really great education here that will further me in my career aspirations.  But I also enjoy that it’s a smaller campus and I get to know a lot of the people.”

As part of her involvement as a medal bearer, Carpenter will run a quarter of a kilometre in uptown Saint John on Oct. 5.  She will be allowed to run with family, friends, and anyone else who has influenced her with her community involvement.

“I think I’ll try to get a few people who have been important to me in my volunteering career,” Carpenter said.  “It’s great to involve more people, because then they have incentive to help out and give back, too.”

Contributed by Alanah Duffy, UNB Communications & Marketing. This story made possible thanks to the support of the UNB Associated Alumni.