Love for Layla

Layla’s Mom and Founder, Love for Layla Campaign | Advocate for Youth Safety & Community Change

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Becky Arseneault is a mother on a mission. After losing her 14-year-old daughter, Layla, in a tragic crash caused by impaired driving, she turned her grief into action. Through the Love for Layla campaign, Becky speaks to both youth and the adults who support them, helping prevent tragedies caused by alcohol, reckless choices, and peer pressure.

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Her message is simple yet powerful: “Make it Home: Someone who loves you is waiting for you.” Becky empowers students to recognize the weight of their decisions and helps parents, educators, and mentors understand how to guide young people toward safer choices. She encourages community involvement and reminds audiences that change starts with conversations, support, and action.

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Speaking Engagement – Love for Layla: The Power of One Choice

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One moment, one decision, one choice—that’s all it takes to change everything. Becky Arseneault brings Layla’s story to life with raw honesty and urgency, reminding teens that their choices have lasting consequences. She tackles peer pressure, impaired driving, and risky behaviors head-on, while also inspiring adults to step up as mentors and role models.

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✔ For Students – How to resist peer pressure, look out for friends, and make choices that protect their future.
✔ For Adults – How to start meaningful conversations, set boundaries, and support youth in making safe decisions.
✔ For Everyone – Why community involvement matters and how small actions can save lives.

Layla’s story is a heartbreaking reminder, but Becky’s message is one of hope, action, and change. 

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Please join Becky in a movement that keeps more teens safe and ensure they make it home.

Entrepreneur

Alheri Bingi is a dynamic entrepreneur, sales leader, and cultural advocate passionate about driving impact through Business, Public Speaking and Art. With over a decade of experience in sales and over five years as an entrepreneur, she seamlessly blends strategic leadership with creative vision. She is the founder of Art by Dangana, a business dedicated to preserving and showcasing African heritage through authentic African Textile wall art. 

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Alheri holds an MBA from the University of New Brunswick and currently serves as an Executive in Residence at Mount Allison University, where she mentors and trains aspiring entrepreneurs in the Business and Commerce departments. 

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She has worked with local high schools in collaboration with Black Lives Matter New Brunswick to foster cultural education, diversity and representation. 

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In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the Newcomer Entrepreneur Award in 2024 by Empowering Women in Business. 

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Through her work, Alheri continues to bridge cultures, empower artisans, and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and changemakers. 

Filmmaker, Storyteller, and Disability Advocate

Sarah M. Pennington is a filmmaker, storyteller, and disability advocate. In 2022, she graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design with a BFA in Film & TV and a minor in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. Combining her disability advocacy work with her filmmaking has allowed her to work toward her life's goal to make the world a more accessible and inclusive place. Sarah spends much of her time involved with motivational speaking, traveling across the United States and Canada to talk to groups of all ages and sizes.

Additionally, she is involved with pageantry, having held several local, state, and national titles over the last few years. Her community service involvement, including her advocacy work for disability accessibility, has earned her two President’s Volunteer Service Awards.

Additionally, here is the topics list I sent previously. Please let me know if you need this in a different format:

BFRBs (body-focused repetitive behaviors)/Trichotillomania:

• What are BFRBs? (While they may not be well known, it's estimated 1 in 20 people are living with a BFRB.)

• My personal journey dealing with the condition, including getting diagnosed with trichotillomania, dealing with the shame of the behavior and the resulting hair loss, and the path I took to recovery to love myself (which did not include overcoming the disorder).

• The importance of embracing your true, authentic self, and not letting others define your self-worth.

Hair Loss:

• What is it like losing your hair as a middle school-aged girl and having to deal with bullies and societal beauty standards?

• How I went from hiding my hair loss to embracing being bald and beautiful.

• The importance of knowing that your worth is not defined by your appearance but by your heart and your actions.

Anxiety:

• What does anxiety look like/feel like?

• How I went from being ruled by anxiety (including social anxiety) to being able to live alongside my anxiety and present onstage without fear.

• Why there is no shame in speaking to a therapist, or seeking psychiatric help.

Depression/Suicidal Ideation:

• How is it possible to appear happy on the outside but feel still feel depressed?

• How I went from daily suicidal ideation as a 13-year-old to living without suicidal thoughts.

• Why it's ok to not be ok, and the importance of speaking up and seeking help.

Late-Diagnosed Autism:

• What is ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and how does it vary from person to person?

• How I officially came to terms with being autistic 10 years after receiving my diagnosis. (Hint: For 5 years, no one told me about the diagnosis.)

• How being open to identifying as autistic has allowed me to embrace myself fully because I finally understand how my brain works!

Dysautonomia/POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome):

• What is Dysautonomia and POTS?

• My journey of being diagnosed with POTS in my freshman year of college, after years of suffering in silence. (Doctors weren't able to connect the dots of what was going on, but my mom was!)

• The importance of self-advocacy.

Living with a Disability/Chronic Condition:

• What is it like living with a disability?

• How I navigated the transition from only having psychiatric disorders to having a chronic condition that affects my physical health.

• How disability inclusion helped me to learn to live with my new disabled identity.

Pageantry:

• What's it like being involved with pageantry? (Oftentimes, people think pageants are all about glitz, glam, and beauty. However, they are so much more involved, including public speaking and volunteerism.)

• How my mental health advocacy led me to be involved with pageantry?

• Why I continue to compete in pageants to represent bald girls and women, women with disabilities, and people who never thought they were good enough to deserve to wear a crown.

Activism & Advocacy (Mental Health and/or Disability)

• How my own health struggles pushed me to advocate for change.

• The importance of recognizing that mental health conditions should be treated with the same severity as physical health conditions.

• The importance of disability inclusion, both in physical accessibility and in the way disabled people are treated.

• The power in speaking up for what you believe in, and how each and every one of us has the power to make a monumental change, even if it's just for one other person.

Country Musician

Meet Josh Norrad, the dynamic co-host set to captivate audiences at WE Believe- In Creating Change. Hailing from central New Brunswick, this multi-award-nominated country sensation seamlessly blends gritty country roots with a dash of rock swagger, drawing inspiration from icons like Alan Jackson, AC/DC, and Thousand Foot Krutch.

Josh's on-stage persona unleashes a powerful fusion of high-octane, rock-infused country music, reflecting his authentic "country boy" lifestyle. A seasoned performer, he's renowned for his electrifying shows, unique energy, and an uncanny ability to connect with audiences. Boasting six nominations, including 2x MNB Country Artist of the Year, Josh's music weaves a compelling narrative of country life, adventure, and triumph, rising from rock bottom.

From conquering grand stages to intimate venues, Josh is on a mission to make a lasting impact, embodying the true essence of country and the spirit of rock. Raised off the grid at his family's hunting and fishing camp, his early years entrenched a passion for outdoor adventure, from 4-wheelers to midnight river runs. Beyond the spotlight, he is a dedicated grain farmer, regularly making biannual trips to the Canadian Prairies to lend a hand on a sprawling farm in Saskatchewan.

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Speaking Topics:

• Achieving/pursuing your dreams against all odds.

• Suicide, suicide prevention.

• Drug and alcohol abuse, dangers. 

• The pressure of society to fit in and the dangers/cost of conforming to it. 

Josh's Passion:

As a WE Believe speaker / performer my passion is to empower individuals to seize control of their lives with unwavering positivity and determination, inspiring them to overcome adversity and elevate themselves to unprecedented heights of success, happiness, and health.