Meet Bailee Walls, a 4th year Health Studies Student from Sault Ste. Marie. Baliee is truly an un-BEE-lieveable and exceptional young woman who lives up to her motto of “live your best life.” This spring, Baliee founded the organization Just-Bee right here at the University of Waterloo and she was more than happy to share her experiences with all of our amazing readers!
Tell us about your organization Just-Bee:
Mental health disorders are starting younger and younger in youth. With the average wait time for mental health services being anywhere from 6 months to a year, children’s wellbeing only continues to deteriorate. Just Bee is creating educational materials that provide emotional intelligence coaching to kids. Our starting target demographic are kids between the ages of 2-6, as it is between these ages that kids start either daycare or school. Being thrust into an unfamiliar environment can be very stressful for young kids, so it’s important that we set the right foundation with coping skills early on.
How did you start to develop your company?
In Spring 2017, I was a part of St. Paul’s GreenHouse, a social impact incubator on campus. With the help of both staff and my peers, I was able to start developing Just Bee. GreenHouse provides training to foster entrepreneurial related skills as well as funding for your idea. It’s a great place to go and explore a social issue your passionate about.
What inspired you to create Just Bee?
I have struggled with mental illness for most of my life. I was never identified as high risk by professionals, so anytime I did try to seek help, I’d be waiting for months at a time. After several failed attempts at getting help, it wasn’t until my third year of university where I was finally able to start counselling. In just one term with a counsellor, I was able to develop coping many skills and strategies, but more importantly, I gained an understanding of my feelings and moods. My experiences led me to believe there had to be a better way to address this issue. And that’s where Just Bee came in!
What is your favourite part about Just Bee?
The conversations I’ve been able to have with people has to be my favourite part. When given the opportunity, people love to share their stories and experiences. Not only is Just Bee creating educational materials, but we’ve started an extremely important conversation around child mental health.
In regards to your organization, what are your goals for this term?
Develop a series of books to be able to start pilot testing with different organizations in the new year.
What are the responsibilities of the members in your organization?
Right now, I’m a one-woman show! As founder of Just Bee, I deal with tasks ranging from marketing to content development. I’d love for Just Bee to grow this term, so if anyone is passionate about writing, illustrating, or mental health in general, they’d be a great fit with the team! (if that’s you, check out the contact information at the bottom of this article!)
Are you involved in any other activities on/off campus?
I’m a Team Leader for Burst Your Bubble, one of the Peer Health Education teams run out of health services. I am also on one of the panels for the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health. But by far one of my favourite things that I’m involved with is residence life. I’m a Don at Ron Eydt Village, meaning I live with and support 50 first year students.
What advice do you have for a student looking to take on a leadership role?
Know your limits. Often times, those who are passionate about things join a lot of clubs or groups, which can become overwhelming. It’s better for both you and the cause you’re passionate about if you don’t try to spread yourself thin. Your mental health is important!
To learn more about Just-Bee visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/JustBeeBooks/
Or send an email to: contact@just-bee.org