Jackie Plessl

Title: Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Coordinator
Interesting Fact: A lover of dance, Jackie has taught everything from ballet to break-dancing!

Jackie Plessl joined the Leaders Today team in 2007 as Youth and Philanthropy Initiative coordinator. She is excited about using her role to empower youth to become socially responsible citizens. Her passion lies in training young people to be the leaders of today and to stand up for those who do not have a voice.

Jackie first became involved in social justice issues at the age of 15, when she rallied a group of her peers to travel to Mexico City where they ran a camp for inner city youth. Moved by the local people’s overwhelming optimism in the midst of extreme poverty, she vowed to do everything in her power to help them. Jackie then travelled to Nigeria to serve on a development team, participating in schoolbuilding, clean water, AIDS awareness and health projects. She went on to graduate from the University of Waterloo’s peace and conflict studies program with a degree in kinesiology. Throughout her studies Jackie was an active volunteer in several development organizations, including the role for which she is most proud: development coordinator at Alongside International.

Jackie’s love of travel has taken her to more than 20 countries. In her spare time she can be found writing music, painting or running around playing sports. When she becomes weighed down with life's happenings, she finds encouragement in the words of Edward Everett Hale: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something. I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."