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Shawnigan Graduate Selected for the Page Program

For graduates at Shawnigan Lake School, the opportunities beyond Shawnigan are many, and 
for Class of 2022 student Annie C., this couldn’t ring more true. Selected for the Page Program in the House of Commons – an honour given to 40 first-year students in the Ottawa/Gatineau region each year – Annie is excited for the opportunity to be a non-partisan employee of the House administration next academic year. After undergoing the highly competitive national process that narrows it down to 40 successful applicants, the Page Program provides year-long, part-time work for students at eligible post-secondary institutions in an effort to broaden and enrich their knowledge of the Canadian Parliamentary System. For Annie, this was made possible because of her acceptance and commitment to the University of Ottawa to study Political Science and French.
Annie credits the opportunities provided at Shawnigan Lake School for getting her to this point. She has experienced an overwhelming amount of support from everyone in the community since she first arrived in Grade 10, and her Guidance Counsellor Mr. Brown is no exception. She states he “truly set me up for success in my university applications, and in my application for the page program.” Her French Immersion teachers Mr. Klassen and Mx. Rush were instrumental in the application process as well because in addition to the online application she had to undergo a second language evaluation. It was because of Shawnigan’s strong French Immersion courses – she even teaches components of French Immersion 10 as a Teaching Assistant – that this was a breeze for Annie. Add in her experience of being the director of the French Language Committee in this year's Global Goals Model United Nations conference, as well as volunteering for the Shawnigan House of Commons, and Annie is well prepared for what is to come. It is programs such as this that are instrumental in teaching students how to collaborate with others and work together to come to a consensus on complex issues that affect the globe, sparking a strong interest in world affairs – a great stepping stone for the next generation of global leaders.

Being a page goes beyond supporting what happens inside the chamber; they assist with ceremonial and protocol events, such as when dignitaries visit, as well as act as ambassadors to the program and speak to youth groups attending the chamber. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a program like this in one’s first year of university. With the program dedicated to ensuring academic support and a good work-life balance are achieved, there are so many things for Annie to look forward to as she embarks on this next stage in life beyond Shawnigan.
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