An Oilfields High School graduand with a talent for taking initiative was recognized for her efforts last week.
Morgan Burton received a citizenship award for her school spirit and her contributions to the life of the school during the Black and Gold Awards ceremony at the Black Diamond junior and senior high school on Feb. 12. Citizenship awards are presented to one student per grade in the 7-12 school.
The annual ceremony recognizes students with numerous awards, bursaries and scholarships to mark the end of the school’s first semester.
“It was a bit of a surprise honestly,” said Burton of receiving the citizenship award. “It is kind of humbling. I did not expect to win it.”
Burton said she strives to be active in her school, ever since her Grade 10 year when she initiated a Gay Straight Alliance club.
“I felt like it’s important for kids to feel safe and included and have a place to go if they need it,” she said. “At first it was a small group of kids in the guidance counselor’s office. It’s grown a lot since then to as many as 20 kids.”
Burton also played a role in getting mental health education to her peers and eliminating stigmas around mental health illnesses through an assembly and informative pamphlets to aid students who need help.
She was also involved with the group of students who initiated a student council at Oilfields last year.
Burton is now the Grade 12 student council rep.
“Getting involved is really important to me,” she said. “You make friends and find where you fit in. It can be very rewarding if you put yourself out there a little.”
Oilfields High School principal Scott Carey said it’s often a challenge selecting students for awards where the highest grade isn’t the criteria, like the citizenship awards.
Carey said the honour is given to students viewed as school ambassadors and unsung heroes.
Burton fit that criteria perfectly, he said.
“You never have to ask Morgan to do anything,” he said. “She’s done a tremendous amount of work if we need posters or to organize an event.”
Carey said more students are putting themselves out there to start new initiatives in the school.
“I definitely see that ad hoc nature of citizenship,” he said. “The students recognize a need and recognize how they can be a part of the school community. It’s the ultimate proud dad moment.”
The school hosts a breakfast for its award recipients a week prior to the ceremony, calling each one down by grade.
The recipients don’t learn which awards they will receive until the day of the ceremony, Carey said.
See below a list of the Black and Gold award, scholarship and bursary recipients:
Western Communities Foundation Exceptional Achievement Citation and Bursary: Jace Staples
Governor General Award: Lucian Reinke
Dr. Haslam Bursary: Jaelynn Varty
Foothills Lions Club Award: Maria Ostergaard
Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion Turner Valley Branch Award: Jacob Ponton
Inter Pipeline Discovery Award: Keiffer Biddle
Sheep Creek Arts Council Scholarship: Jake Bews
Math Awards: Ylexus Bean, 7; Chloe Jachymek, 8; Wes Nicholson, 9; Riley Grusing, 20-1; Talia Geurts, 20-2; Jennifer Turcotte, 20-3; Jaime Wong, 30-1; Morgan Burton, 30-2
Humanities Awards: Ylexus Bean, 7; Chloe Jachymek, 8
English Awards: Ashley Jackson, 9; Jordan Rogers, 10-1; Dustin Graup, 10-2; Jaime Wong and Noelle Duckworth, 30-1; Cara Lees, 30-2
Physics 30 Award: Jaime Wong
Chemistry 20 Award: Riley Grusing
Science Awards: Ylexus Bean, 7; Kealey Atkinson, 8; Ashley Jackson, 9; Jordan Rogers, 10; Ana and Karla Fuente Camara, 14.
Social Studies Awards: Taylor Sharkey, 9; Kyle Foley, 20-1; Dallin Varty and Baylee Shandler-West, 20-2.
PE Awards: Claire McPherson, 7; Nikita Palamar, 8; Logan Tymstra, 9; Colton MacKay, 20; Jimmy Blower, 30
Fitness Awards: Amanda Burritt, 7; Dominic Olien, 8; Nolan Lowry, 9
Senior Sports Medicine Award: Paula Josefiak
Art Awards: Morgan Robertson, 7; Jaedyn Neufeld, 8; Dalen Nelson, most improved; Jade Nelson, 10; Karla Fuente Camara, 20; Hayley Hill, 30
Drama: Morgan Burton, 10; Lina King, 20; Jasmine Sousa, 30; Keyanna Bates, most improved
Technical Theatre Award: Georgia Jeffery
Industrial Ed Awards: AJ Hinman, 7; Nikita Palamar, 8; Kade Grogan, 9; Jade Nelson, 10; Cody Foley, senior
Digital Tech Awards: Wesley Nicholson and Jacinda Chalifoux, 9; Hunter Carter, 10; Kj Wi, senior
Home Economics Awards: Tice Kehler and Kiera Bretzlaff, 7/8; Megan Jensen, 9
Senior Foods Award: Keyanna Bates
Hockey Skills Award: Cody Merkel
CALM Award: Christian Hrubant
Spanish Awards: Katheryn Greer, 7/8; Jami Farnsworth, 10
Outdoor Education 9 Award: Logan Griffin
Quest Academic Awards: Jesse Palamar, 10; Porter Geurts, most improved; Blake Paul and Monica Zacaruk, 20; Blake Paul, most improved; Sam Warkman, 30; Colten Poland, most improved
Question Outdoor Performance: Nick Warkman, 10; Blake Paul, 20; Sam Warkman, 30
Most Improved Awards: LaDanian Lefthand, 7; Dominic Olien, 8; Keelan Harper, 9; Keyanna Bates, 10; Colton MacKay, 11; Lindy Malmberg, 12
Citizenship Awards: Hawk Edey and Tice Kehler, 7; Mackenzie Farnell-Scheller, 8, Jacinda Chalifoux, 9; Ben Collyer, 10; Lina King, 11; Morgan Burton, 12
Grade 7 Honour Awards: Cooper Bews, Tyler Currie, Hannah Elson, Ethan Froese, Raegan Green, Coulter Grimwood-Valin, Kaylee Jennings, Julian Lavoie, Tyson Mackenzie, Cole Pederson, Maris Sosnick, Emma Unrau, Morgan Wight and Camryn Willford
Grade 7 Honours with Distinction Awards: Macey Anderson, Dakota Barkley, Ylexus Bean, Amanda Burritt, Garret Caldwell, Sophia Cooper, Logan Costall, Danielle Denning, Hawk Edey, AJ Hinman, Jocelyn Holladay, Erin Hughes, Tice Kehler, Sydney Libbus, Claire McPherson, Jake Mikkelsen, Kaden Mowatt, Arianna Parker, Morgan Robertson, Taryn Robertson, Connor Surgeson, Aaliyah Van Patten and Riley Zeer.
Grade 8 Honour Awards: Demi Bonertz, Tessy Coughlin, Kas Kingston, Joshua Lincoln, Alexandra Matthews, Jessica Merkley, Amica Milne, Dalen Nelson, Delanie Nering, Haley Orun, Tianna Silver, Rae-Anna Smith and Elizabeth Unrau
Grade 8 Honours With Distinction Awards: Reagan Anderson, Kealey Atkinson, Jaden Bilyk, Kiera Bretzlaff, MacKenzie Farnell-Scheller, Katheryn Greer, Chloe Jachymek, Susanna Kiffiak, Alis Marin, Matthew Nadeau, Jaedyn Neufeld, Nikita Palamar and Brittany Zdebiak.
Grade 9 Honour Awards: James Varty, Abby Currie, Cody Merkel, Taylor Sharkey, Dawson Zdebiak, Brielle Goss, Isabella Hogg, Aidan Smith, Makayla Nadeau and Lance Ponton
Grade 9 Honours with Distinction: Ashley Jackson, Logan Tymstra, Wesley Nicholson, Madison Peters, Logan Griffin, Kade Grogan, Shae Nicholson, Jace Bews and Abigail Dyke
Grade 10 Honour Awards: Caelia Thorson, Hunter Carter, Paula Josefiak, Sienna Bowker, Keyanna Bates, Hallie Iverson and Pacen Anderson
Grade 10 Honours with Distinction Awards: Jordan Rogers, Shannon White, Jade Nelson, Jesse Palamar, Jayden Liggins, Ashley Nelson, Hudson Gordon, Nicholas Nadeau, Sierra Virostek, Josie Hughes, Willow McDonald, Jacob Libbus and CJ Pigeault
Grade 11 Honour Awards: Jennifer Turcotte, Kyle Foley, Blake Paul, Cody Foley, Christian Hrubant, Ana Fuente Camara and Lina King
Grade 11 Honours with Distinction Awards: Riley Grusing, Dallin Varty, Karla Fuente Camara, Monica Zacaruk and Kaiden Powell
Grade 12 Honour Awards: Ethan Foster, Leah Campbell, Austin Caron, Keegan Willis, Sonjya Kutz, Kj Wi, Tim Murrin, Samantha Warkman, Georgia Jeffery and Lindy Malmberg
Grade 12 Honours with Distinction Awards: Jaime Wong, Morgan Burton, Carra Lees, Jasmine Sousa, Noelle Duckworth, Zoee Stromberg, Hayley Hill and Nevada Nelson
