New Member "Who Am I" talk, + Exchange Student to Japan

Milja is sponsored bt Heidi Pfleger

Serena Gillespie

Serena Gillespie is the daughter of Rotary member Milja Gillespie. She is a 17 year old grade 12 student at Southwood Secondary School who has just returned from a Rotary student exchange year in Beppu Japan. She is passionate about languages and cultures and loves traveling the world. She speaks Japanese fluently, French well, took two years of Korean, and dabbles in learning Swahili and Dutch in Duolingo. She has been to 8 countries and hopes to take a gap year to travel before university. Serena enjoys playing volleyball, soccer and flute - and is looking for a part time job :)

Milja Gillespie

Milja Gillespie joined Rotary in March 2024 after her daughter went on Rotary exchange to Japan. She is recently married and mother and step mother to 6 kids (Serena being the youngest). She graduated from the University of Waterloo and has worked at Sybase and SAP for the past 27 years where she has held various roles. Passionate about building community, she thrives in mentorship and values diverse perspectives. A lifelong learner, Milja embraces growth in both her professional and personal life. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling—having visited 32 countries—has appeared as an extra on a TV show, and is a fan of the Blue Jays.