Need inspiration for the new year? Meet these Winnipeggers

Between a Rhodes Scholar, an actor who hasa starring role in Glee and a business owner who is competing with the likes of Starbucks, Winnipeg is hometo three people whorecently found great success in the world.

Alexa Yakubovich, Rhodes Scholar

After growing up in Winnipeg's River Heights, Alexa Yakubovichstudied at the University of Manitoba before beginning her master's degree at the University of Oxfordin England.

In 2014, Yakubovich, 23, was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, which will allow her to begin a funded PhD at Oxford in September.

It doesnt feel real at all, Yakubovich said of receiving the scholarship.

Past recipients include Bill Clinton and New York Times bestselling author and feminist social critic Naomi Wolf.

I had spent so long reading about these things, but you feel really helpless when youre sitting in your home in Winnipeg not doing anything.- AlexaYakubovich

The PhD Yakubovich is set to embark on will focus on social determinants of disease inadolescents.

"Im going to be looking at...Eastern Cape, South Africa, which is the poorest province in South Africa," she said.

"The majority of [700 adolescents I am looking at]will be HIV-positive, but then well also have a control that doesn't have HIV.Ill be looking at what social conditions predict whether they have multiple diseases."

She says her first international experience with issues of social justice took place during the summer of 2012, when Yakubovich was in Israel.

She lived in a house and helped children recover from treatment for cardiac disease.

The organizationYakubovichvolunteered with was Save a Child's Heart, whichbrings children to Israel from around the developing world toreceive cardiac treatment that they can'treceive in their home countries due to lack of medical care.

I just really wanted a hands-on experience because I had spent so long reading about these things, but you feel really helpless when youre sitting in your home in Winnipeg not doing anything, Yakubovich said.

While her time at Save a Child's Heartmotivated her to continue to address issues of social justiceon a global scale, Yakubovichsaysher reasons for carrying out work of that nature havechanged throughout the years.

I think right now it comes from a sense of dissatisfaction with the conditions that some people are living in and feeling like theyre preventable, and trying to find a way to improve those conditions, she said.

It does take a lot of work but I feel like if I wasnt doing it, I wouldnt be satisfied.

Matthew Corrin, Freshii founder

With locations in 50 cities that span10 countries and a growth rate faster than that of Starbucks, healthy fast food restaurant Freshiiis undeniably a business success story.

Andone that starts with a founder inWinnipeg.

Matthew Corrin,33, started Freshii in 2005, at the age of 23. Although the first restaurant opened in Toronto, his entrepreneurial endeavours have roots in Winnipeg.

At 15, Corrin asked his mother to drive him around the city one summer.

"I created a map for all the hockey arenas in the city of Winnipeg and basically, I sold advertising.I covered the cost of the production," he said.

"[I]sold thousands of copies to fellow Winnipeggers during my hockey games and my mom would go around and sell them for a toonie."

By the time he was 18, Corrin was in New York City for his first internship and shortly after that, he was working for David Letterman and major fashion label Oscar de la Renta.

Going for lunch in the city and watching what he calls "delis with lacklustre branding" lining the streets of Manhattan inspired him to think about opening something healthy, and something affordable for young people.

But there was one problem: Corrin had neverset foot in a restaurant as a worker. His lack of experience only made for retrospective horror stories, however, and did not hinder his success.

"In the first month I was robbed twice by employees," he said.

"I had a kitchen manager slice a significant part of their thumb off and the assistant kitchen manager fainted from the sight of blood. They were both carried away by stretcher to the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. That wastruly my first day, not just working in the restaurant industry, but working in the kitchen."

Ten years have passed since then, and the new yearmarks the time when Freshii will make its debut in the city where its founder grew up.

Corrinsaidtwo locations one at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson Internationalairport, another at KenastonBoulevard and Grant Avenue are set to open in the coming months. He is also negotiating leases at Portage Avenue and Main Street and onCorydon Avenue.

Really, our mission is to help people live healthier lives, he said.

Marshall Williams, starring role on American hit television showGlee

WinnipegGleeks, or super fans of the American hit showGlee, rejoice: One star of the show's upcoming final season characters grew up in the same city as you.

Spencer, the new character on the show who is a football jock and gay, is Marshall Williams in real life.

Williams has spent the last few months inLosAngelesshooting episodes he is scheduled to appear in 11 of the season's 13.

On Monday, he was back in his hometown and took time to stop in at the CBC Winnipeg studios. Williams sat down to chat with and sing for CBC Information Radio host Marcy Markusa.