“Don’t go feeling you have to do something because people expect it” - Gilbert Blythe from Anne With an E

During his time as SDC’s Chief of Staff on the OOP team from 2021 to 2022, Jace Lee embodied this quote: he went out of others’ expectations by going from someone who suggested ideas to someone who executed ideas. Each of his new initiatives helped SDC to continue to establish its community as a family, which makes us proud to honour his service for SDC. Each month, SDC recognizes and appreciates individuals who have put in remarkable effort in their contributions to our cause; thus, we are pleased for Jace Lee to be the Person of the Month for June!

Jace was born in Seoul, South Korea; however, he moved to China and lived there for 5 years. Currently, he lives in British Columbia, Canada, and has recently finished his IB diploma program at RE Mountain Secondary School; in the upcoming fall, he will enroll in McMaster University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Health Science. After earning his degree, he wishes to support physically marginalized groups, as he wishes to take on the profound initiative not many people seem to notice.

In 2020, Jace first joined SDC as an Operations Associate on the HQ team and, shortly after, became a Chief Operations Officer. In his second year at SDC, he was nominated as the Chief of Staff on the OOP team, which allowed to truly highlight SDC’s mission and values of acceptance and disability justice: he was able to hit promising milestones and plan activities for SDC! One of his most significant achievements including organizing the logistics for the SDC Drive-In event, which will hopefully be happening in the Fall!

The fondest memories of Jace’s journey at SDC derive from working alongside his peers and the CORE 5 Team. Although Jace was paranoid when he first joined SDC, he was immediately reassured by the first few meetings with his fellow youth team members. He fondly remembers the late night chats in the CORE 5 Team and folding hundreds of jackets for the Once Upon a Shine Gala. 

Through the role of Chief of Staff this year on the Youth Team, Jace believes that SDC has served as a medium for him to support marginalized populations within his community. He felt inspired by the atmosphere he contributed to create. Jace believes that without support and acceptance from his fellow youth team members, he would have not been able to grow his leadership and communication skills. Thank you Jace for serving as a wonderful COS this year on behalf of the SDC Youth Team!