An Oilfields graduand who has been a voice for her peers the last two years is passing the torch to others as she crosses the threshold into adulthood.
Georgia Jeffery has been speaking out for the rights of fellow students as a founding member of the school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and member of the Foothills School Division’s Student Matters Committee.
Jeffery joined some friends to initiate the alliance three years ago.
“I had a couple of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) friends who felt like they needed extra support,” she said. “They explained that they wanted to do this GSA. I said, ‘I will be a part of that.’”
The group met privately at first and then decided to promote the alliance and open it up to everyone rather than keeping it under the radar.
“The next year we said, ‘This is something we should move forward with,’” she said. “We went from class to class encouraging students to join. When we first started there was about seven of us cramped in Miss Morck’s office talking about this GSA. Now there is 10 to 15 of us”
Jeffery said their peers accepted the alliance.
“We haven’t faced any backlash from students,” she said.
Jeffery has been the acting secretary for student council the last two years and last fall was selected to join the Student Matters Committee.
The group consists of student representatives from schools across the Foothills School Division who meet throughout the school year to discuss policies and issues that matter to students from legislation for gender neutral washrooms to code of conduct for teachers.
“We would sit and do table discussions to figure things out,” she said. “There would be a wide range of students from different schools so it was neat to hear other perspectives. It was really cool because you would say something and they take it into consideration.”
This year Jeffery became involved with the school’s drama program as a stage manager and technical support after working as a stagehand for Workshop Theatre Calgary.
“I always liked the dramatic arts, but I was never involved in it until this year,” she said, adding her busy schedule didn’t allow it previously. “Most of my friends take drama and I would go to the productions and cheer them on.”
Jeffery’s experience with Workshop Theatre Calgary allowed her to help create the set, give direction to actors and assist with make-up for the production Peter Pan.
The experience inspired Jeffery to enroll in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dramatic arts at the University of Lethbridge, where she plans to major in technical design with aspirations to be a make-up artist.
Paulette Morck, Oilfields High School guidance councilor, taught Jeffery and considers her the type of person who accepts others without judgment.
“She comes across as this really outgoing and take-charge kind of person, but on the other side of it she is very kind and accepting,” she said. “I see her with her peers and I would say she’s a leader in her peer group.”
Morck finds Jeffery’s passion for the school’s GSA admirable and she’s watched Jeffery and her friends work to get younger students involved in keeping it going for future years.
“She’s been a pretty good advocate for young people,” she said. “She’s used her voice in a really cool and positive way to look out for kids. We’re really excited to see where her future goes.”
