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"I was running late for class one day and my principal stopped me just outside of class and asked if I would be interested in joining the Youth Advisory Council - I had no previous experience on student council but figured this might be a good way to harness my energies," said Corriero. "Initially it was about finding my own voice but now it's about creating platforms for other kids."
Working with other like-minded students not only provided an outlet for Corriero's altruistic ambitions, but also an opportunity to network with new individuals who could help her grow an online community.
"It's a very dynamic group that has been together from the beginning. But we're growing and constantly expanding further to involve more people," said Corriero, who now finds herself in a mentoring role for younger members of Vaughan's Youth Cabinet. The group is in the process of creating a new website and recruiting new members to the positions they are quickly growing too old for.
During her initial years in the cabinet, Corriero met with Vittoria La Neve and convinced her to work with TakingITglobal. After a couple of weeks of computer boot camp, La Neve was on her way to expanding Corriero's vision by creating a global gallery for young artists. It began with 15 submissions four years ago and has grown to include more than 600 pieces of art, poetry, sculpture, photographs, music and digital artwork. For their efforts, both Corriero and La Neve would receive numerous awards including the Wired Women's 'Young Woman of the Year.'
"A lot of people ask me 'do you do it because it looks good on your resume?' The truth is I got involved because I've always enjoyed working with people interested in making a positive difference," said La Neve who admits that in the beginning technology was more of a taboo than a practical tool in her life.
"Before (computer camp) I really had no idea what email was or the how the Internet worked. But by the end of my first week I had already designed my first web page. It's ironic that two years later I won an award for helping get women more involved with technology."

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