Yukon youth receive Outstanding Youth Achievement Awards

2018 Outstanding Youth Achievement Award recipients

Sebastian Cuenza

Sebastian, 18, is being recognized for his commitment to helping out at Vanier Catholic Secondary School and around Whitehorse. Throughout high school, he has dedicated his time to participating in a youth group at the Multicultural Centre where he helps welcome immigrant youth to Whitehorse. Sebastian also has an interest in film and photography. On his own time, he has set up and maintained the Vanier green room and is always available to help other students with their audio or film projects. He volunteers to photograph the Grade 7 graduations at the Catholic elementary schools around Whitehorse. Sebastian is also an athlete and has played both volleyball and basketball every year in high school. He helps coach the younger Vanier teams, as well as the Christ the King Elementary basketball team. Sebastian is always available to help others and does so with a positive attitude. He sets an excellent example for other students and encourages friends to help with any task that needs to be completed. He is a mentor to other students and consistently leads by example.

Grace-Anne Janssen

Grace-Anne, 17, is being recognized for her dedication to volunteering in her community. Grace-Anne has volunteered as a junior camp counsellor and kitchen staff member at Marsh Lake Bible Camp and as a camp counsellor and games coordinator at Kamp Klondike. She has also volunteered as a cook and server at the Sacred Heart Cathedral soup kitchen. Grace-Anne is an avid table tennis player and has repeatedly represented Yukon at the Arctic Winter Games. Grace-Anne has also been a Canadian Youth Ambassador at the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the 100th Commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Since the 8th grade, Grace-Anne has been a member of the All-City Band. She has a wide variety of interests and has participated in many of the programs at Wood Street School including French Achievement Challenge Environment Stewardship, Music-Art-Drama and Experiential Science. She has been involved in her F.H. Collins community by being a member of the student council, participating in the Social Justice Club, doing the school announcements and dressing as the school mascot.

Cassis Lindsay

Cassis, 17, is being recognized for her outstanding dedication as a club captain of the Glacier Bears swim team and as a proud Kwanlin Dün citizen. Cassis is already a published writer and has written for the Shakat journal on a variety of issues. She was the master of ceremonies for the Youth Millennial Town Hall in Whitehorse and a guest speaker for the Girl Guides’ year-end ceremony. Cassis is an exceptional role model and has demonstrated this through her involvement with Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Youth of Today Society. This year, Cassis received the award for Aboriginal Athlete of the Year. Her swimming experience includes qualifying for the National Swimming Championships three years in a row and swimming at Mel Zajac International meets. She has also been a flag-bearer for both the Western Canada Games closing ceremonies and the North American Indigenous Games opening ceremonies.

Isabel Magsucang

Isabel, 18, is being recognized for her devotion to her school community and its Social Justice Club, as well as Yukon athletics. Isabel has been a peer tutor for three years and has devoted her time to helping students with math and science in an effort to ensure they succeed in school and become more confident in themselves. As co-chair of the Social Justice Club, she has volunteered in annual food drives since Grade 8 and has participated in fundraisers for charities including Little Footprints, Big Steps and the local outreach van. Isabel is a versatile athlete who plays basketball, volleyball and soccer. She has regularly represented Yukon at national soccer and volleyball tournaments, as well as the Canadian Francophone Games. In her Grade 12 year, Isabel was a volunteer volleyball coach, mentoring Grade 8 students and sharing her passion. Her dedication is proven through her numerous awards and achievements including participating in the Canada-Wide Science Fair and receiving the Elks Lodge Scholarship.

Lizzy (Elizabeth) Sparling

Lizzy, 18, is being recognized for her exceptional commitment to volunteering in and around Whitehorse. Since the 8th Grade, Lizzy has been a dedicated member of the F.H. Collins Social Justice Club. As part of the club, she has volunteered with organizations such as Yukon Women’s Transition Home, Bank of Nova Scotia AIDS walk and Little Footprints, Big Steps. She has also repeatedly participated in fundraisers such as Whitehorse Connects, F.H. Collins Christmas Toy Bingo, and the 24-hour famine. Lizzy is always looking for opportunities to help out. As a natural leader and mentor, she can often be seen speaking to younger students around the school in an effort to motivate them to help out in their own communities. For the 2017–2018 school year, Lizzy received the School Council Social Justice Award and she has been selected for the Katimavik program.