Two Charles Spencer High School students received the Governor General's Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers at We Day Grande Prairie,

Grande Prairie, Alberta – Charles Spencer High School is proud to announce that two grade 12 students, Kaydence Redding and Grace Stephenson, have been recognized by the Governor General of Canada for their volunteer efforts as part of the Maverick Movement at Charles Spencer High School. Kaydence and Grace will be Grande Prairie’s newest recipients of the National Medal for Volunteers.

Kaydence and Grace received their award from Craig Kielburger, founder of the WE Charity and the WE Day Movement at a special breakfast ceremony during the provincial WE Day event held in Edmonton on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018.

As noted on the Governor General of Canada’s website, this prestigious medal is given to “[A]ny living person who is a Canadian citizen and who has made significant, sustained and unpaid contributions to their community in Canada or abroad…”

Grace and Kaydence are true Mavericks; their dedication and commitment to volunteering for local and global causes is astounding – with several hundreds of hours volunteered, and over $30,000 raised for local and global causes, they are students who would never think they deserve an award of this magnitude, nor would they need one to validate what they have done. We are confident these young women will continue to make a significant impact in our local community and the world for the rest of their lives.

Kaydence is an inspired and determined risk taker, who sees every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow. She pushes herself to be the best person she can be and to do things because it is the right thing to do regardless of the repercussions. At Charles Spencer, she started a Meatless Monday initiative to bring awareness and reduce water consumption. Her passion for social justice issues has spread to many people around her. She dreams to be an educator one day to make a difference, but already her impact is immense and immeasurable.

Grace exudes positive energy and treats everyone with dignity and compassion. She is forward thinking, eager for change and passionate about environmental sustainability. She started a composting program at Charles Spencer to reduce waste and then used the project to help students with disabilities learn the Science curriculum. Grace thinks holistically and is dedicated to service above self. She is someone who will alter the social landscape of our future.