 Saskatchewan Junior
Citizen of the Year
Saskatchewan Junior
Citizen of the Year 2004 Biographies
Nicole Espeseth
Top...
As described by her nominators Tracey
Huckell and Glenn Marchand, Nicole is a dedicated student with a strong work
ethic and a keen mind. She is mature,
responsible with empathy beyond her years. This young woman excels in academics and the arts and is very involved
in both school and community events. She
consistently performs at a very high level and her marks reflect it.
Nicole's teachers and peers believe she
is one of the most dedicated students they have worked with and one for whom
they have great respect.
Drama classes, community productions
and singing are three areas where this young woman shines. One of her favorite plays is "Where the
Lillies Bloom." This year she played
the lead character, Mary Call Luther in a local community production. Younger
students who have seen her perform are in awe of her ability and it encourages
them to strive harder to attain their own goals.
Volunteering is important to Nicole and
she strives to make her community a better place. She is actively involved in her school and
community through the Share the Warmth campaign, junior volunteer at her local
hospital and she was also a member of her high school's SRC.
Despite living with the challenges of
spina bifida, Nicole is optimistic and provides continuous support and positive
encouragement to others. The challenges
she lives with have made her strong, mature and more appreciative of what life
offers. She works hard to make success a
reality for herself. Her physical
disability does not affect her confidence or prevent her from taking on
challenges or following her dreams. She
is a role model for others with disabilities, showing them they can rise above
their challenges and accomplish whatever they set out to do. Nicole knows where her future will take her./ She plans to double major in Child Psychology and Drama at the uNiversity of Saskatchewan, taker her Masters in fhild psychology at SImon Fraser University and then obtain her PhD in England.
|
 |
Nathan Kuhn
Top...
Nathan's
nominator Darlene Kidd describes this Junior Citizen as "a super nice guy
who gives his all for others - family, friends, peers and acquaintances."
The
qualities that make this young man a Junior Citizen are numerous. Nathan is a strong but gentle leader. He leads by example and is not swayed by
negative peer pressure. He has been
congratulated on numerous occasions for taking the time and paying attention to
the underdog. His manner has a positive
influence on others. He often notices
the looks of distress on the faces of those who feel excluded, even in the
hallways of his own school. Last year,
Nathan began a personal quest. He
approached anyone who looked lonely or distraught and struck up a conversation
that invited them to share their feelings or just plain talk. His efforts are never complete until they are
laughing about something. Nathan feels
his project may not make much difference to the world, but to that one person,
he has made their day. Nathan's example
has inspired others to join him on his venture.
Nathan
comes from a large family and as the oldest of nine children, he is required to
be a leader every day. He helps out with
many things from tying shoes to homework. His father works in the oilfields and Nathan helps out a great deal with
farm chores. He has been his father's
right-hand man doing farm work daily, helping with the animals, driving
tractor, hauling grain, and yard maintenance.
Nathan
loves sports and is involved in almost everything including midget and senior
baseball, volleyball, basketball, track & field, badminton, curling and
hockey. To add to the challenge, he also
lives 36 km from town.
In
addition to sports, Nathan has also competed in the speech categories at music
festivals and has helped set a positive example for other young males with
speaking talent.
His
future goals are to attend the University
of Alberta and study
engineering.
|
 |
Robin Moncrief
Top...
This
young Junior Citizen is only 12 years old and already has a long list of
achievements under her belt. She is a
cheerful, bright and outgoing youth who gives fully of herself with whatever
she encounters. She assumes a leadership
role in all her endeavors and encourages others to participate along with her.
Robin
is polite, pleasant and respectful. She
notices when someone has special needs and has a talent for encouraging others
to carry on. She has a great sense of
right or wrong and will go to great lengths to fix a problem or put forth a new
and worthwhile idea.
As
an active student at St. Gerard French Immersion school in Saskatoon, Robin has played a key role
starting up a student representative council and chess club. She helps fundraise for a variety of things -
from raising money for air conditioning units for her school to helping collect
money for the Government House in Regina. When teachers or coaches need input or help
starting a program, Robin is their go to person.
Robin
does not take no for an answer, but instead will find a way to see a project
through. One example is the 2004 Nokia
Brier Jamcan Curling Event. Her school was invited to participate, however no
teachers were available to accompany the students. Robin was able to put together 3 1/2 teams
with adult supervision. They brought a
gold trophy and three sets of bronze medals back to their school.
Outside
of school, Robin is involved in a large variety of activities including Spanish
classes, piano, voice and harp, Saskatoon's Children's Choir and a number of
sports. She has been an active member of
the Navy League Cadets, H. M. Weir #18 for three years and has won numerous
awards including Cadet of the Year and the H. M. Weir Cadets Choice Award.
In
each activity Robin is involved in, she brings along a great deal of enthusiasm
and dedication and has nearly perfect attendance in each one. She works exceptionally well with people of
all ages and has earned much respect from her peers, coaches and educators.
This
junior citizen has big dreams for her future. She plans to enter Sea Cadets, finish high school, take part in the
Parliamentary Page Program, join toastmasters, study law and become Canada's
longest serving female Prime Minister!
|
 |
Andrew Taylor
Top...
Andrew's
nominators Nancy Duns and Frankie Smith describe this Junior Citizen as a
caring and generous young man who takes on all tasks in a cheerful, respectful
manner.
Community
and school are very important to this young man from Tisdale. Andrew is a dedicated member of the Royal
Canadian Air Cadets, #624 Tisdale Air Cadet Squadron and has been a member for
six years. His dedication has influenced junior cadets to remain with the
program despite peer pressure.
In
school, he excels academically and volunteers many hours with the yearbook
club, drama club, CHUMS (a mentoring program for elementary students), SAAD
(Students Against Drunk Driving), and a variety of other committees. His forward thinking ideas, social
conscience, energy level and incredible time management skills are truly
impressive in such a young person. He
consistently demonstrates his philosophy of tolerance and inclusion and is
generous with his time and energy to those who need help. In addition to school
and community activities, Andrew also plays an active role in sports including
basketball, football, and track & field.
Andrew
has sought out and won positions of responsibility with the Tisdale Middle and
Secondary School SRC including the position of President. He has been
instrumental in developing strategies to improve student participation in the
academic and extracurricular life of the school. His pleasant disposition and great sense of
humor encourages others to work with him. His 'can do' attitude inspires those with whom he works.
Andrew's
enthusiasm, zest for life and generous nature can be seen in everything he does
and he is an inspiration to those who know him.
Andrew's
future plans include traveling and enrolling in the Royal Military
College.
|
 |
Junior Citizen of the
Year Archive
|
