Page 91 - Edify-Nov-Dec-2023

MELODY
MCARTHUR
ENTERTAINER, CONTRACTOR >AGE 33
Growing up in poverty in
rural Alberta, Melody McArthur dreamed of the “fame and for-
tune” that could accompany a successful entertainment career. She started seriously pursuing her dream after visiting Calgary in 2016 to attend the Stampede.
“I walked by the National Music Centre and thought, ‘How do I get in there as an artist?’ It totally helped shift my thinking to try and make it happen.”
After developing her singing, song- writing and other talents, McArthur was invited to the NMC to participate in Canada’s Music Incubator’s Artist Entrepreneur West program, and subse- quently for another incubator and finally a music showcase.
“When manifestations become reality, it helps solidify that I can and want to keep going because it’s validation that I’m doing something right.”
Now that McArthur has achieved several of her goals — including scoring
a No. 1 song (“Unceded”) on the National Indigenous Music Countdown and being a full-time artist — her definition of success has shifted.
“I have come to understand that the talent I have is a gift from the Creator,” McArthur says “Eliciting emotion in another human being, and trying to make a differ- ence in someone’s life, is what being a performer is about. ” – Breanna Mroczek
Why she’s Top 40
SHE’S A RENAISSANCE WOMAN WHO ADVOCATES FOR HEALTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
ASHA HOLLIS
PEDIATRIC RESIDENT PHYSICIAN AT STOLLERY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES >AGE 28
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When Dr. Asha Hollis first visited Sri Lanka, she wit- nessed first-hand the barriers and limitations that prevented people from accessing medicine.
“My mom actually was a refugee from Sri Lanka,” says Hollis. “Having talked with her and having a family that comes from that area, I’ve gotten some good insight into some of the challenges and difficulties fam- ilies in lower-income countries experience.”
While a student at the University of Calgary in
2019, she was the driving force behind the university’s adoption of the Global Access to Medicine Principles — a
set of guidelines that help ensure that any U of C medical invention is more accessible in lower-income countries.
While she is now a pediatric resident physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, and also an exceptional violinist (having played backup with Two Cellos and Michael Bublé), advocacy hasn’t left
her focus. She’s been involved in children’s anti-smoking and anti-vaping advocacy for over 10 years. Hollis created an educational resource called SOLVE Mystery Toolkit, a free, interactive multimedia program that uses interactive mystery activities to teach youth about the risks of vaping.
“[The children] could finally tell themselves that they were making the right decision,” says Hollis. “That was really special because I think it really showed that these programs do make a difference.”
– Liam Newbigging
Why she’s Top 40 SHE’S PERSEVERED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL SELF-MADE ENTERTAINER