It is wonderful to have an opportunity to recognize Emily Barker-Voisine as one of our school and local community’s Leaders of Tomorrow.
However, it needs to be said that Emily is not just a leader of the future – she is a leader, today! Emily has always been an excellent, extremely conscientious student, maintaining Honour Roll and Super G status during her five years at Westview.
But her accomplishments and contributions extend much further than that. She devotes countless hours of her time to various community organizations: she is a very accomplished wrestler, who has shared her talents and mentorship as a student coach for the wrestling team in her grade 11 and 12 years. In addition, she is a student volunteer at Ridge Meadows Hospital.
She also represented Westview at Encounters Canada, and at the moderated conversation with former US First Lady Michelle Obama. She advocates for herself and others, and works patiently and determinedly to raise awareness of important local and global issues.
And perhaps where Emily shines the most is her engagement with her Metis culture and community. Over the last three years in particular, Emily has sought out opportunities to not only educate herself, but also her peers, adults and younger students, about the importance of all of us having a better understanding of an appreciation for Aboriginal history and culture.
She is the only student at our school enrolled in English First Peoples 12 and First Nations 12. She attends as many public talks and events as she can fit into her busy schedule, and has been nominated to participate in many Metis youth conferences. She willingly and openly shares her experiences and understanding with others, and always with the bright, sunny and humorous disposition that is so much a part of who Emily is. We know she will continue to shine as she moves forward into her Aboriginal Studies at SFU in the fall. Emily has been a wonderful leader during her five years at Westview, and this is just the beginning of her bright future and potential.
About Leaders of Tomorrow
The Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District (SD42) has teamed up with the Maple Ridge News to celebrate local students who are making a difference at school and in the community. Elementary and secondary students featured as Leaders of Tomorrow were picked by their principals for making positive achievements in academics, sports, arts and community involvement.
The list is just a sample of outstanding students in the school district selected by their school during the 2018/19 school year – there are many others who were equally deserving of recognition for their exemplary achievements both inside and outside the classroom. Every Tuesday throughout the school year, SD42 will profile a student selected as one of the 2019 Leaders of Tomorrow.
