“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” At least that’s what American radio personality and host Ira Glas says. It also seems to be the mantra that Canadian actress and author Esabella Strickland lives by. At 12, Esabella is on the young end of Generation Z. She also has reached peaks that most people decades older only dream of. Like Gen Z in general, Esabella loves to break barriers and tear down stereotypes. And before she even graduates from elementary school, Esabella regularly tests preconceived notions of what is and isn’t possible in her personal and professional life. Acting Became Her Platform for Storytelling

Most kids put on costumes and love to pretend to be someone or something they’re not. At one point or another all children seem to live in a world of make believe- testing the limits of their imagination. In 2018, Esabella’s acting has won her the Best Young Actress Award by the Oniros Film Awards, four nominations by the Joey Awards 2018 and VarietyBC Youth Award.

The teen who loves being on stage and making people laugh discovered her passion for acting in second grade. “My first role was class clown in our school’s theatre production, “Clowning Around”.

I like telling stories a lot. My Mom and Dad used to tell me stories all the time. They’re both very artistic and I knew really early that I wanted to act to tell stories. Her credits include short films, tv series, and mini-series. And although she has excelled at acting, she doesn’t leave the storytelling to stage, television and film. Esabella and her Dad, Michael, sat down last summer to co-author an adventure book called: “Then and There Here and Where” coming out next year.

Just Like Other Kids

If Esabella sounds too good to be true, her most exceptional quality may be how, among all her early success, the Vancouver native remains so down-to-earth. She’s playful and even wore a pair of cat ears during her interview with us. Her eyes light up when she talks about things she loves and like most kids, she tries lots of different things. Her Grandma had a piano so she started taking lessons. She loved piano but there were only so many hours in a day so she had to make a hard decision, continue piano, or spend more time on her tap dancing and theatre. Tap dancing won out! She’s really drawn to acting. Her advice to other kids? Do whatever you enjoy most and when you find something you like, work hard so that other people will be able to enjoy it too.

Do whatever you enjoy most and when you find something you like, work hard so that other people will be able to enjoy it too. Click To Tweet

Describing Generation Z


By reaching beyond our “safe space” GenZ can and will change the world.

If she had to choose one word to describes GenZ, Esabella says it’s imaginative. “We can think in an artistic way or a mathematical or other different ways. Rarely do we think in a straight line.”

We can think in an artistic way or a mathematical or other different ways. Rarely do we think in a straight line. Click To Tweet

GenZ she says is also all about technology. She believes that previous generations may have liked using technology but would expand on their ideas in ways they felt safe. Not GenZ says Esabella. By reaching beyond our “safe space” GenZ can and will change the world.

GenZ she says is also all about technology. She believes that previous generations may have liked using technology but would expand on their ideas in ways they felt safe. Not GenZ says Esabella. By reaching beyond our “safe space” GenZ… Click To Tweet

Her favorite thing about her generation? It’s creativity. But according to Esabella, as creative as this generation is, the next one will be even more explosive! “Our generation just takes the world one step forward.” The next generations will get better and better. Each generation just gets smarter from the one before.”


Our generation just takes the world one step forward.” The next generations will get better and better. Each generation just gets smarter from the one before.

Our generation just takes the world one step forward.” The next generations will get better and better. Each generation just gets smarter from the one before. Click To Tweet

When I Grow Up!


“Space hasn’t been fully explored, so I want to find things that other people are probably too afraid to.”

Esabella reaches for the stars in more ways than anyone can imagine. She’s just twelve, so what does she want to be when she grows up? It’s no surprise she mentions actor or even animator. But what may surprise people is “someone who works at NASA.” Why NASA? “Space hasn’t been fully explored, so I want to find things that other people are probably too afraid to.” NASA listen up: the job Esabella really wants is to be an explorer or something similarly creative.

And there’s another reason this extraordinary young woman wants to work at NASA- she has ADHD. According to Esabella, NASA hires more people with ADHD than most organizations because those with ADHD often find different ways to be creative. And in typical GenZ fashion she says, “I could help people there!”

Somehow WeRGenZ believes, like Esabella, that her story has only begun and there’s no telling what twists and turns she’ll experience before the final words: “The END”. Follow Esabella’s career and causes on social media @EsaBellaKarena.

If you know of another incredible GenZ’er who you would like us to interview on this blog email us at [email protected] or contact us on
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