Moush Sara John Indpendent staff
Two Grade 9 students of Big Valley School are headed to Ottawa this weekend as winners of a Canada 150 contest, run by Experiences Canada, formerly known as Sevec specializing in youth exchange programs.
Nicole Zoller and Indiana Soboleski will be participating in the experience of a lifetime as they experience the nation’s capital and engage in interesting discussions from June 24 to July 3.
While Zoller wrote an essay entitled, “Is beauty skin deep?” which focused on how social media affects all Canadians, Soboleski’s media project was entitled “Be yourself!” and focused on peer pressure, urging youth to be themselves.
“This is the girls’ last year at Big Valley School before they move on to high school, so it will be a very memorable send off for the girls and the school,” said Principal Charlee Mappin.
The students themselves are looking forward to the experience and hope to connect with other students while on the trip.
“I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to connect with students and Canadians from different cultures and backgrounds,” Zoller said. “I’m quite sure we are going to have a great experience.”
Soboleski feels the same way and is excited for the trip because it will give her a chance to get out of her “comfort zone.”
“This trip will prepare us for challenges later on in life, like meeting new people, visiting places not familiar to us,” Soboleski said. “But, I’m also excited for this great opportunity.”
According to Mappin, their Language Arts teacher, Erin Stauffer’s encouragement and guidance went a long way.
“Besides all the hard work that the girls put in, a lot of credit goes to our staff, Mrs. Erin Stauffer, during whose Language Arts class the girls did the projects,” Mappin added.