Two Sundre High School student leaders recently learned more about the importance of building a network of connections to improve the chances of achieving their future goals.
Keyanna St. Dennis, Grade 10, and Danny Kamaleddine, Grade 11, attended the National Youth Ambassador Caucus hosted earlier in June by Global Vision in Ottawa. The pair attended the extracurricular conference of their own volition and ambition, teacher Ryan Beck told the Round Up.
"They earned this opportunity through their work with the Sundre High Leo Club, and this is a followup opportunity from their work in Vancouver in January where they greatly impressed Global Vision with their ideas and enthusiasm at the Western Canada Round Table," he said.
The experience provided them with the opportunity to "work with high-level politicians, top Canadian business leaders and youth from coast to coast to coast across Canada on projects including poverty, climate change and governance."
Actively involved in the school's leadership programs, St. Dennis and Kamaleddine aspire to become adults who are engaged in helping to steer the future direction of the community and perhaps even the country.
"Keyanna is hoping to get into politics. This might help put her on track to become the first female MÈtis prime minister," said Beck.
"Danny is passionate about Sundre and is looking to share Sundre's opportunities and community spirit with the rest of Canada."
The students enthusiastically shared their experience during an interview with the Round Up at Sundre High School shortly after they returned from Ottawa.
"I met a lot of good people. That was my favourite part actually, was meeting new people," said St. Dennis, who had never before been to Ottawa and was grateful for the chance to build onto her network and establish new connections.
The caucus had a large focus on entrepreneurship, she said.
"I learned a lot about starting your own business and taking steps towards getting there."
Additionally, meeting with members of Parliament offered her a glimpse through the window into the life of public service, and the experience left her more convinced than ever that she wants to pursue a future path in provincial and perhaps eventually federal politics.
Global Vision founder Terrence Clifford, a former educator as well as politician, ran an introspective workshop to help the young adults find themselves by having them consider as well as write down their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, she said.
"I'm very thankful that he showed us that."
Kamaleddine told the Round Up numerous high school graduates and former Global Vision participants returned to share their experiences about the program, which helped them to forge a path to success in either business or politics, including a young woman who is now working under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a youth entrepreneur.
"She said it opened up a lot of different doors for her."
While Global Vision has a reputation for enabling participants' success in a range of entrepreneurial and political pursuits, the students were told the point of the caucus is not so much to guarantee future success but rather to help them build onto the network that will in turn facilitate their ability to reach their goals, he said.
"It helped us create connections so that our future is better."
Although Kamaleddine has not dismissed the possibility of eventually pursuing provincial or even federal politics, he plans for the foreseeable future to remain in the community to play his part as a local leader.
"Then, maybe if I enjoy it or want to step it up, I'll go into provincial politics," he said.
"I don't want to rush things."
The Sundre Lions sponsored the students' extracurricular school trip, contributing $1,000 to help cover the conference fees.
"They certainly earned the right to attend as they were recognized as leaders by Global Vision during their attendance at Global Visions conference in Vancouver," Nadine Pedersen, Sundre Lions president, told the Round Up.
"The Sundre Lions Club believes that youth such as these two are our future."
