***Original published in South Mountain Press, April 5, 2019***
Erickson Student to Receive Premier’s Volunteer Service Award
Trinity Nylen, a Grade 12 student from the Erickson area, has been chosen as one of the recipients of Manitoba’s 36th Annual Volunteer Awards. Trinity will be presented with a Premier’s Volunteer Service Award during a Winnipeg gala dinner on April 11th.
According to Volunteer Manitoba, the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award (Youth Category) is meant to honour the efforts and dedication of outstanding volunteers in Manitoba. The youth leadership category recognizes young Manitobans (under 25) who have made considerable contributions to their schools, organizations and communities through volunteer work. The young volunteers serve as role models, encouraging other young people to give of themselves for the betterment of the community.
Trinity will be one of only four young Manitobans to receive this year’s prestigious honour.
Trinity says she is excited about the event and is glad she can share the experience with her parents. The self-deprecating, young lady has a bit of trepidation at the prospect of attending such a fancy event. After a lifetime of growing up on a farm, she is more comfortable wearing coveralls and crocs and not particularly used to a fancy dress and heels. But her mantra has been, “Be willing to put yourself out there for better results. Don’t be scared to try new things or to meet new people. Try to say ‘Yes’ as much as possible.”
Trinity’s life philosophy has served this 17 year old well and she has accomplished more in a few short years than many people will do in a lifetime. The Performance Benchmarks section of her Curriculum Vitae would contain: Has dedicated extraordinary efforts to raise awareness in my community about discrimination in its various forms and has shown leadership in affecting change. Has committed time in two different high schools to various committees including the Erickson High School Gay Straight Alliance, Student Council, C.H.A.N.G.E. (Citizens Helping All Nations Grow Equally), Model UN, Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E (Please Respect Your Diverse Environment) and causes such as ‘Dressember’.
The Overview portion of her resume would read as: Passionate about social justice issues and has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn about human rights, including attending conferences on the topics of LGBTQ+ issues, mental health, and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. As part of the Erickson Gay Straight Alliance during grades Nine and Ten, involved in organizing two Human Rights Conferences for the entire Rolling River School Division.
During the Grade Ten Conference, the guest presenter was so impressed with Trinity that they invited her to Ottawa to attend the 2016 ‘Allyship in Action!’ Conference organized by the Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity.
As for hobbies and other interests, Trinity would list: Active in school sports, playing on the soccer, rugby and basketball teams. Balances all my activities while maintaining a job at a service station. Has also taken on positions to help in the community, such as assisting with volunteering for the Erickson Junior Curling program plus the ice-making, and cleaning at the town’s campground.
In her own words, Trinity explained the catalyst that caused her to become so passionate about advancing social justice issues. “I grew up in a small conservative community in rural Manitoba, one day in the fourth grade a boy in my class was being bullied because he was acting ‘gay’. At the time I did not know what that meant, however, I knew how those words made him feel. That night I came home from school asking my family at the supper table, what it means to be gay and why it would be so upsetting to my classmate. My parents explained to me what it meant to be gay and clarified there was nothing wrong with being gay, it just isn’t very common where we live. I didn’t know it then, but this first real interaction with discrimination sparked a passion within me that would lead me to help others.”
As a Group Leader for the Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E. student group, Trinity explained the importance of helping to provide a community for students struggling to learn some of life’s ‘hows and whys’. She feels strongly about helping to provide an environment and awareness where it is okay to have other views. To her way of thinking, people should not be afraid to be different.
In a few months, after graduation, the plucky teenager will be participating in a six month SWAP Canada Exchange to New Zealand. Upon her return to Canada, Trinity would like to obtain a Bachelors of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba.
More information on Volunteer Manitoba and a full list of this year’s Volunteer Awards recipients can be found at https://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/awards
Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.