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Allysa Woodrow named Junior Citizen of the Year

Jan 15, 2019 | 3:00 PM

From her dedication to mental health awareness to recently spearheading a city-wide campaign aimed at bringing together the young and old, Allysa Woodrow lives a life that exemplifies a demonstration of service to the community.

When the 17-year-old sees a need in the city, she tackles it head-on, making her well deserving of the title of Junior Citizen of the Year, according to those who nominated Woodrow for the award.

Paster Deb McNabb, who worked closely with Woodrow described the young lady as a “great community ambassador who is selfless, has a servant’s heart, is wise beyond her years, is humble, kind, an excellent student, a visionary, and compassionate.

“She lives a very busy life but does all she does with excellence. She is an amazing role model and a tremendous example of youth voice, passion, and resiliency,” McNabb added.

Following a number of youth and senior suicides in the region early last year, Woodrow embarked on a city-wide initiative to connect these generations through the Battlefords Better Together T-shirt Project, all while enrolled as a Grade 12 student in John Paul II Collegiate. The project aims to reduce loneliness and improve residents’ wellbeing.

At John Paul II Collegiate, Woodrow is a senior leader with Students Against Drunk Driving and the Mental Health Communication Café. 

Outside the classroom, Woodrow is a faithful volunteer with veterans at the North Battleford Legion. Through this, she developed an interest in helping those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which has lead her to volunteer with Wounded Warriors.

Alongside this, she is a co-leader with the Hugs with Mugs Mental Health support group, which gathers every Tuesday evening, and was instrumental in founding another chapter of the Hugs with Mugs on the Saulteaux First Nation that began on Jan. 7.

Her mother Roberta Woodrow was on hand for the surprise ambush of the news at the high school Tuesday and said it brought her a huge sense of pride as a mother.

“She is such an easy going child and she helps without question,” she said. “For her to be recognized for something that just seems to come naturally to her is just unbelievable.”

Woodrow will graduate in the spring and has been accepted to the University of Regina to study social work in the fall. Her mother anticipates she will continue to give back.

“She has been involved with many different organizations over the years and I can see her going and finding existing organizations or finding new ones wherever people need help,” she said. “That is just what she is about.”

 

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr