Megan te Boekhorst isn't your typical 23-year-old.
She has a double major in communications and interactive art and technology under her belt. She runs a non-profit business that supports a scholarship program for Grade 12 students. And if that's not impressive enough, the New West resident also organizes and hosts goal coaching workshops, including one at River Market on April 11.
"It's a really transformative process. You get to engage in your life and what you want it to look like in 10 years," te Boekhorst told the Record. "We'll do some brainstorming, come up with a list of core values, do some meditative visioning sessions and just have fun."
The recent SFU graduate said becoming a mentor happened on a whim and slightly out of boredom. "I was kind of tired of the same routine in school, having taken six years to complete my degree, and I wanted to challenge myself," she said.
That challenge came in the form of a personal blog called "In a sequoia." Since its launch last summer, the online platform has grown from a few posts to a place where subscribers can purchase goal coaching packages. Whether it's a 90-minute Skype call or four one-on-one meetings throughout the year, te Boekhorst boasts of getting clients living a life of pure bliss, "a life that feels, to its core, right."
But the path to success hasn't always been an easy one.
The self-proclaimed bohemian feminist admits she has struggled with depression and an eating disorder over the years. As a way of ending the stigma around mental health, she launched the Vibrant Lives Scholarship Foundation earlier this month.
"When I was in high school, I was a big nerd, I was on student council and always looking for new opportunities. I know there are a lot of kids out there like me who have such potential in them, but it just needs to be tapped a bit more," she added. "The scholarship is meant for Grade 12's who are working to end that stigma. I'll accept a painting, a piece of writing, perhaps a proposal for a project, basically anything they think helps the cause."
Funds for the scholarship are being raised through Karuna, a product line te Boekhorst started specifically to support the foundation. The line currently has a natural coffee scrub on the market that retails for $28.
"Karuna will also be at Got Craft in Vancouver in May, so that's a big event I'm looking forward to," she said, adding the scrub was recently picked up by a store in Ontario. The first scholarship will be handed out in 2016, hopefully in the amount of $500 or higher, according to te Boekhorst.
Her efforts over the next month, however, will be geared towards organizing a goal coaching workshop at the Quay.
"New West is such a beautiful community and the River Market is such a gorgeous space to host it at," she said.
Find Your Goal'd runs from 1 until 3 p.m on Saturday, April 11 in the community square (second floor) at River Market. Cost is $27, but space is limited, so you're asked to arrive 15 minutes early to register. You can also visit www.inasequoia.com to sign up online.
When asked what roadblocks people have when it comes to achieving their goals, te Boekhorst said it's finding that balance.
"Too many of us are trying to achieve a definition of balance society believes in, and not what balance actually reflects for them. Find Your Goal'd is about digging deep and finding out what you truly believe in."
