Empower

Kimberlee Shelley-Ajibolade: Always moving forward

Published

7 years ago

June 12, 2018

BY: DELLIA RISMAY

Kimberlee Shelley-Ajibolade is many things: an author, a wife, a paralegal, an HR professional, a minister, and an online TV personality. Despite juggling all these hats, she ensures she makes time to give back to her community, especially young women.

Born in Jamaica, Kimberlee was raised by her mother until she was in her early teens. When she was 14, she moved to Canada with her father. She credits her grounded nature to her parents instilling Christian values in her from an early age. They also taught her the value of education, as well as the importance of giving back.

Kimberlee’s mother did this by leading by example. Watching her mother do things like often donating her time towards her church’s food bank drives or simply being there for a friend or family member in need is a big source of inspiration for Kimberlee. “She’s so passionate about it, she’s just a selfless person. Just doing so much for so many people and not expecting anything back in return,” she says.

Today, Kimberlee can be found in several initiatives in her community. In 2017, she was chosen as Brampton’s Queen Ambassador of the Black Canadian Queens Program, which celebrates the abilities, characters, and strength of young black women. To be crowned an ambassador, participants must meet several criteria, such as successfully completing a community and leadership task, as well as a publicity task. Kimberlee is using her platform as a Queen Ambassador to reach out to other women.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Kimberlee hosted a drive called “Celebrate HER”, which aimed to helped single mothers who were living at a shelter, some of which were the victims of abuse. The women received beauty and personal care products, as well as a short motivational speech from Kimberlee.

Kimberlee also helps those in her community by doing pro bono paralegal work. She attended Humber College where she was a student in the paralegal education program. Her love of advocating for those who needed a voice inspired her to become a paralegal, however, the costs of opening her own practice were too much for her to handle as a new graduate. So, she went on to work in an administrativerole at a head office of a security guard company, which eventually led to a job in HR/administration.

“Based on my interest and aptitude of the role, it became more HR/admin. So, I began to do more of the screening,” she says. She is now a branch manager of a recruitment firm called Universal Staffing, where, at age 27, she was the youngest branch manager in the company’s history. Though her day job is to help those in her community find good, meaningful careers, in her spare time, Kimberlee offers advice to those looking for guidance with issues like landlord and tenant disputes. “I am passionate about advocacy,” Kimberlee says.

As part of her continued quest to uplift others, Kimberlee co-authored a book in February of this year called “Designer’s Original—A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Her Self-Worth and Identity in God”. “It’s by no means a devotional, but we do take it from a biblical aspectbecause we believe that the Bibledoes such a great job of reassuring us of who we are […] We’re trying to be a better version of ourselves. The only person we’re comparing to is who we were yesterday,” Kimberlee explains.

In the book, which features stories about life experiences from multiple authors, Kimberlee describes overcoming her own challenges with struggling to accept parts of her own life story. “For me, I talk about growing up in the inner city and how I didn’t want people to know that,” she says. “In my chapter, I talk about how over time, we have to learn to accept what our truth is and find a good way to sell that, so it is a truth we can be proud of. We can’t go back in time, but we can determine how we move forward,” she says. Now, Kimberlee stands tall when it comes to her past, and helps others who may be in a similar situation.

Her determination to give back and support her community has earned Kimberlee several awards. In addition to being an ambassador for the Black Canadian Queens Program, she was also recognized as a Woman of Inspiration by Soulful Image Magazine, was named “Woman On Fire-Community Activist Award Winner” earlier this year, and, on June 20^th, she will receive an award for being one of Brampton’s top 40 under 40 for 2018.

So, what’s coming up on the horizon for Kimberlee? Perhaps a career in politics. “I hope to continue the philanthropy in a bigger and better way. To start my foundation, and hopefully run for office,” she says. Wherever life takes her, it’s clear she will continue to be an advocate in her community for a long time.

Related Topics:community leadership motivation passionate women

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Junior Contributors

How are current trends shaping our world? Foreshadowing 2025

Published

2 days ago

December 19, 2024

TOCaribNews

Credits: raw.pixel

BY AMARI SUKHDEO

As we look toward 2025, it’s natural to wonder how current trends will shape our world. Drawing from technological advances, societal shifts, and environmental challenges observed in 2024, we can outline some plausible developments. By connecting these to existing evidence, we can better understand why these changes are likely.

Smarter AI, beyond assistants

In 2024, AI systems became more personalized and efficient, with companies investing in AI models that function locally to reduce delays and energy use. By 2025, we could see AI systems embedded in everyday tools. For instance, AI in healthcare already assists with diagnostics; next, it may empower wearable devices to provide personalized treatment suggestions based on real-time data. This isn’t just speculation; investments by tech giants like Google and Microsoft into smaller, faster AI models in 2024 lay the groundwork for this leap forward.

Climate action driving everyday innovations

Extreme weather events and rising global temperatures made headlines in 2024, pushing governments and industries to accelerate renewable energy efforts. Solar panels and wind farms became more efficient, and electric vehicles (EVs) gained broader adoption as costs fell. In 2025, we could reasonably expect community-level energy storage solutions, like localized solar grids in neighbourhoods, offering resilience against power outages caused by climate disruptions. The sharp drop in renewable energy costs in 2024 suggests this trend will only accelerate.

Job markets evolve with AI

The growing use of AI in hiring processes was evident in 2024, with more companies testing conversational bots for initial candidate screenings. By 2025, these bots could standardize equitable hiring practices, focusing on skills rather than credentials. If trends from 2024 hold, candidates might submit work samples directly analyzed by AI, bypassing biases inherent in traditional resumes.

Space exploration as the next frontier

Private companies made significant progress in space technology in 2024, with initiatives like reusable rockets and plans for lunar missions advancing rapidly. In 2025, commercial space tourism could become a niche industry, offering suborbital flights for high-net-worth individuals. More importantly, the ongoing development of satellite networks for global internet coverage—spearheaded by firms like SpaceX—may revolutionize connectivity in rural and underserved areas, fulfilling the promises set in motion during 2024.

Social media’s evolution

The spread of misinformation and rising concerns about mental health dominated conversations about social media in 2024. By 2025, we might see stricter regulations and innovations in platform design aimed at promoting responsible usage. For instance, algorithms may prioritize verified information or feature built-in mental health support, echoing growing public demand for ethical practices observed last year.

The predictions for 2025 are rooted in developments already in motion. Rapid strides in AI and renewable energy, coupled with societal responses to climate challenges, social media, and space suggest a future where technology is more integrated into daily life and becomes a norm. However, navigating these changes will require continued investment and ethical oversight.

https://www.eckerson.com/articles/predictions-2025-everything-is-about-to-change

Junior Contributors

AI can be a helpful tool, but it can’t replace the special qualities that make human storytelling unique

Published

2 days ago

December 19, 2024

TOCaribNews

Photo Credits: Diana Grytsku

BY YAHYA KARIM

It has recently been found that people take a strong dislike to any stories that are labeled AI generated, even if they were truly written by a human. This might come as a surprise, but it shows how we feel about AI in creative work, such as writing stories.

The study, led by Haoran Chu, a professor of public relations, tested out how people would feel after reading two similar stories, one written by a human and one written by an AI. The participant in the study would find a label indicating which writing was AI generated, and which was written by a human. Through the experiment they switched the labels, so the readers thought they were reading an AI version of the story, when in fact they were reading the human version.

When people saw that it was an AI generated story, they seemed less interested. Even though what was written was almost identical, people did not feel that connection with the AI writing. They felt less connected if it was written by a machine.

The study found that stories written by AI can convince people just as much as those written by humans, especially when it comes to topics like health. However, AI doesn’t make readers feel as connected or immersed in the story. This is something that human writers are better at doing.

The study shows that people still really value the “human touch” in storytelling. Even though AI can write text that is clear and logical, it doesn’t have the same: emotional touch, creativity, or personal feel that humans bring to their writing. When we read a story, we trust human writers to make it feel relatable, which is something AI struggles to do.

In the future, AI might be great for writing simple facts, or basic information, but when it comes to creating deep, emotional stories humans still have the advantage. AI can be a helpful tool, but it can’t replace the special qualities that make human storytelling unique.