Winston Knoll Collegiate
My name is Tillie Mayer, and I am a Grade 12 student at Winston Knoll Collegiate in Regina. I love to sing and am a member of every choral group in school (junior and senior choirs, chamber choir and vocal jazz). I have also been involved in my school’s musicals, the most recent being Sister Act, in which I played Mother Superior. I will enter the University of Regina in fall 2020 to study music.
Outside of school, I work with a professional vocal coach and am a member of the Saskatchewan Youth Choir, an auditioned choir that tours the province doing workshops with other school choirs.
High school life has afforded me opportunities to make good friends and discover my passions. These include social justice for the LGBTQ+ community and gaining an understanding of my Indigenous roots, but perhaps most important to me is to spread awareness for issues around youth mental health. This grew out of my own experiences with depression, which I worked through with the support of my family, teachers, healthcare providers and friends.
This year, I created The Christopher Project, a memorial project dedicated to my cousin, Christopher Youck, who died from suicide last year. This project aims to bring choirs from different schools in Regina together in the spirit of collaboration and friendship, performing “You Will Be Found” (Dear Evan Hansen) together to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health. The project will culminate in a mega choir concert during which we hope to perform with the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization and invite the media to reach a wide audience.
I want my twelfth year legacy to be one of hope and inclusion for youth suffering from mental health issues.
