Julia Felgner is a hardworking, dedicated student who goes above and beyond in her academic studies. She is a passionate and engaged learner inside and outside of the classroom, and completes every assignment, test and activity thoroughly and critically. Since grade nine, she's been on the Honour Roll with Distinction, and has been enrolled in Academic/University level courses since the beginning of high school. Julia is in the Extended French program, and took an Advanced Placement (AP) history course this year. Her hard work and perseverance has earned her numerous top mark awards in many subjects as well as a current average of 98.6%. In every class and course, she takes every challenge head on. Julia always asks for feedback on every assignment, and takes the time to figure out how to apply the feedback to future assignments, so she will continue to learn, develop and grow as a student and individual. As a curious and eager learner, she frequently asks questions to clarify and develop a deeper understanding and perspective on the subject matter she's learning. Julia sets goals and perseveres until she achieves them, then sets more and keeps going. She believes and recognizes there's always room for improvement, and continues to challenge herself academically.

Julia has been passionate about helping others and contributing to the well-being of her community from a very young age. When she was only eight, she made and sold bookmarks to raise money for the Salvation Army, and had previously participated in toy, food, and clothing drives to help those struggling with natural disasters, poverty and hunger. Her passion for helping others continued into her teens, and she began to volunteer in her community, both on a local and global scale. In grade seven, she became involved with the organization Me to We, and has been dedicated to changing the world ever since.

As a leader of the Twin Lakes Me to We Team, she organizes We Scare Hunger, a community food drive held on Halloween to collect non-perishable food items for the local food bank every year. During the holiday season, she makes Christmas cards for those who live at local retirement homes, and shops for/wraps Christmas gifts at a community church for families in need. Over the past three years, Julia's led the Twin Lakes' Me to We week where she's sold rafiki chains to raise money for Me to We's five global pillars: health, opportunity, water, food and education. At the end of the week, she co-headed a bake sale to raise money for The Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Shelter's project, Building Hope. Julia's also headed up the Me to We initiatives, We are Silent and We Stand Up to take a stand against bullying and hate, and to speak up for those in the world whose voices have been silenced by fear and repression. Her involvement and volunteering with Me to We led her to Take Action Camp, where she volunteered at the Me to We headquarters, and cleaned up local parks, made toys for refugee children and created beds for animal shelters.

In grade nine, she helped run a clothing drive by setting up a three-day makeshift clothing store of free students' and teachers' gently used clothing donations for youth in her community. The same year, Julia also volunteered for her school's Breakfast Club, and helped run and organize a Christmas Community Dinner in her school's cafeteria. She was selected for RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) and attended the three day leadership camp. She was selected again as a Junior Leader in grade ten, and spent the three-day weekend volunteering by coaching and supporting the new campers and running activities to help them grow as individuals.

Through her vo?unteer work, she has significantly impacted her community by improving the lives of those around her. Not only has Julia made a lasting impact on local and global issues, her volunteer contributions have inspired those of all ages to make a difference in the world.
 

Gillian is a student who values effort and quality of work, as shown in her cumulative average in her 6 grade 12U/M courses which is above 95%. She has been an honours student all four years of high school, as well as an exemplary role model to those around her.

Gillian is a valuable contributor to in-class discussions due to her passionate nature and thoughtful viewpoints. She invests time both inside and outside the classroom to develop competency and hone her skills. Gillian is particularly skilled in the area of communication. She is highly expressive and she conveys her thoughts in an organized fashion, with clarity. She possesses strong essay writing and analytical skills. A number of her teachers have emphasized: "Gillian has outstanding critical thinking skills and makes great connections to the world around her."

Gillian's love of learning goes beyond grades. She is constantly seeking new learning opportunities in and out of the classroom. Currently, she is working a full-time job to save money for university. She is able to do this because she completed all graduation requirements a semester early, with the exception of one online course, which she is completing as she works. Gillian's love of learning extends to experiential opportunities as she will soon embark on a three-month immersion programme to Quebec in order to improve her French. This programme will award Gillian with two French credits at the University of Western Ontario, where she has accepted her offer and will be going to study Governance, Leadership, and Ethics with a minor in French.

Gillian is an active volunteer through her church. Recently, she sang at a benefit concert for Youth Haven, Celebrating Women, and other outreach/volunteer organizations. She gives her time as a server at community meal events through her church and helps with setup and takedown. Gillian is also very committed to ensuring equitable access to education for all people. She organized and participated in a walk-out to protest the government's changes to the 2015 sexual education curriculum, which put the education of many students at risk, and she is staying up to date with the most recent changes. Gillian seeks to continue to advocate for those in need through her future studies. She is most passionate about equal access to education and removing systemic barriers associated with various socioeconomic statuses. In Gillian's words, "she doesn't want students to just achieve the bare minimum; she wants them to thrive within our system, so that they can be functional and successful members of society." She hopes that studying Governance, Leadership and Ethics at Huron University College at Western will enable her to meet her goals in helping others. This program has been developed to empower future leaders who, through their businesses, will create tangible change for those in their communities.
 

Cassidy is a strong and dedicated student. She studies at the academic/university level which is extremely challenging. As she plans to attend university for Health Sciences, her course load is quite heavy with maths and sciences. Thus far in her grade 12 year, she is maintaining an average in the mid 70%.

Her teachers have commented on her hard work, dedication to her education and the insightful ideas that she brings to both written work and classroom discussion.

Cassidy is carrying a heavy course load and studying at the highest level that she can. She is doing well in all areas and doing so while maintaining an extremely demanding extra-curricular schedule. She must be commended for her mature ability to manage her time and commit such a thorough work ethic to her studies.

Cassidy’s religion teacher who travelled with her to Israel commended Cassidy on her leadership skills while in country. These leadership skills will no doubt compliment Cassidy’s belief that “children need role models and people who care about their lives and behavior.”

Her dream is to pursue medical science and travel worldwide to help wherever she can. Cassidy claims that hospitals are “the place she wants to call her home” so she can make a difference in people’s lives each day. She is even hoping to travel on a mission trip later this year.

Cassidy is to be commended for maturely balancing a heavy course load while continuing to make a positive impact in the community. This balanced approach to both academic and civic life is no doubt a recipe for her to recognize and implement not only the highest quality of medical care, but care that also ensures the humanity and dignity of all of her patients are upheld.

Communities thrive when members accept responsibility not only for one another but to future generations. Cassidy believes that “happier people give more and giving makes people happier.” Cassidy’s commitment to the Orillia community is second to none for a student her age. She began volunteering when she was just seven years old and has continued to give back ever since. Through her volunteer work she exemplifies a mature sense of responsibility for creating a sense of belonging and fellowship within the Orillia area. Her dedication to volunteering is most certainly a defining aspect of who Cassidy is. So much so, that she was awarded the Order of Orillia in 2018 for her dedication to volunteerism.

She has been a dedicated volunteer at Soldier’s Memorial Hospital for the past year and a half. She spends up to five hours each week giving of her time as a porter at the hospital, lending a hand to doctors, nurses and hospital staff throughout their busy shifts. Through her mature and lively demeanor, she brings positivity and cheer to patients in situations where such cheer is most certainly welcomed. Cassidy’s goal is to pursue a career in Health Science. Her experiences volunteering at Soldier’s Memorial will no doubt personalize her approach to medicine in the future.

Cassidy’s commitment to being an active and engaged citizen is demonstrated through her commitment to democracy and the electoral process. During the last provincial election she canvassed door to door for current Member of Provincial Parliament, Jill Dunlop and also made phone calls to promote voting. During the last municipal election, she also was a member of counsellor Mason Ainsworth’s team, canvassing members of the community.

Cassidy’s commitment to learning and sharing in cultural exchange has been demonstrated through her work with both the Rotary Club and Muskoka Languages International. Each year, she works with Rotary Club exchange students as a weekend host who entertains students and introduces them to various aspects of Canadian culture. She also works with Japanese exchange students through Muskoka Languages International hosting students for one to two weeks each summer working with them to learn the English language.

Cassidy also continues to honour annual commitments that she is passionate about. Each year she assists with the Orillia Terry Fox Run as well as the city’s Canada Day celebrations. She also helped with the Coldest Day of the Year walk this year. In the past she has volunteered with the Canadian Cancer Society selling daffodils each Spring as well as with the Operation Christmas Child campaign which sends supplies to developing countries around the world.

The Dalai Lama says that “just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into the water, the actions of individuals can have far reaching effects.” Cassidy’s dedication to so many worthwhile causes will no doubt cast many ripples throughout not only the community of Orillia, but national and internationally as well. As Cassidy says, “giving back is the key to life.”