POWELL ON A MISSION TO HELP THOSE IN NEED

Every now and then a person like Cassandra Powell shows up.

She's been a teacher, a tutor, a babysitter, a singer, an academic, a dancer, an athlete and now wants to be a nurse to help people, whose intellectual and social skills could create difficult times in life.

In other words, people suffering from a variety of brain disorders. The name often used is dementia.

Powell wants to be a nurse and the 27-year old came to Toronto five years ago from Calgary.

"I originally came to Toronto with no plan," said Powell. "At one time, I actually thought - at my age - that it was too late to go back to school.. But then I realized I wanted to do something special and make an impact."

A graduate of Crescent Heights High School, located in the northwest part of the Alberta city, Powell also wanted a change from Western Canada - and now wants to do something that will have a change on how people, suffering from the dreaded condition, spend the rest of their days.

"Two years ago, on my birthday, my grandmother passed away and she had Alzheimer's (a form of dementia that gradually gets worse)," said Powell. "She was my inspiration, my motivator and I owe it to her to help others."

Powell is now in the Nursing Program at George Brown College.

"Some people look at my age and wonder about things," said Powell. "I realized that it took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do the rest of my life and that it was never too late to learn and focus on a career that I wanted."

At 5-foot-11, Powell has the height to play basketball - and she's on the George Brown squad. Twice, Powell got the nod as MVP in league games in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association. Her best game, so far, 13 points in a win over Cambrian College of Sudbury.

Powell has praise for her older brother Donovan who, many years ago, taught her how to play basketball after school. Raised in a family where music was prominent, Powell just followed everyone else - and he father is a professional Gospel singer.

Might have to push Powell just a bit to sing, but she is on record singing a Roberta Flack hit and also likes songs by Alicia Augello Coo. You know her as Alicia Keys. And just one more of her favorites - Stevland Hardaway Morris also known by his stage name of Stevie Wonder.

Multi-talented, Powell - who sings the Canadian National Anthem, too - is one of a kind.

Source: George Brown College

Photo Credit: Michael Stefancic