Ciara Pelletier Lebouef is thrilled about her next step. In fact, she’s surprised the big moment has arrived.

“The time has gone by so quickly,” says Ciara, 17, who left her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie in September and started at Cambrian College in Sudbury in the Emergency Services Communications program. “I’m excited to start, to stay in residence and meet new people.”

It’s a new dawn for Ciara after many years of dealing with a difficult physical challenge that impacted her whole life.

She was born with a condition where her right leg was much shorter than her left. Not only that, but her leg was turned outward. This made it extremely hard to walk. She had multiple surgeries and, three years ago, was fitted with a prosthetic device on her right leg that enables her to walk with more ease.

Ciara is, of course, happy she can take part in everyday activities that many of us take for granted.

“It was upsetting to me that I couldn’t do what other kids did, like jumping rope or swimming. But once I got the prosthetic, that all changed.”

She’s an enthusiastic swimmer and now that she has her G1 drivers’ licence, is well on her way to being able to drive herself around.

Actually, Ciara has never let her disabilities slow her down.

“The really cool thing is that there’s nothing she hasn’t tried because of her disability,” her mother, Christina, told the Soo Today newspaper. “She’s played sledge hockey, done karate, gone skiing, played volleyball and softball. She’s not afraid to try anything.”

She got the inspiration to want to work in 911 operations by seeing TV shows about the profession. But she is also motivated by a longtime desire to help others. And much of that came from how Christina and Ciara’s dad, Michael, have supported her over the years through her many surgeries and medical appointments. She’s also thankful to her older sisters, Bethany and Ariel, and younger brother, Michael, and the family’s Husky-German Shepherd Luna.

A passionate music and movie fan (the Fast and Furious series is high on her list), she also loves going four-wheeling with her dad and fishing with the family.

Now, she’s ready for college, looking forward to the fun she’ll have on her new adventure, as well the impact she hopes to make through the emergency communications program.

“My program will allow me to give back by applying what I learn to help others,” says Ciara. “I believe education is not only about personal advancement but also about contributing to the well-being of society as a whole.”

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