Some Prince George teenagers have been honoured by the city for simply being outstanding.
Last night (June 24), Mayor Lyn Hall and city council gave out awards to four youth for their service and dedication to the community.
“I’m pleased to introduce you to four outstanding youth whose contributions we are honouring for the 219 Youth of the Year Award,” said Mayor Lyn Hall to the award winners. "This was a very difficult decision and I think we really took a page out of a couple of other organizations in our city and looked at recognizing all four of these outstanding youth in our community.”
The Youth of the Year Award is presented by the city each year to young people of high achievement between the ages of 13 and 18 who attend school in Prince George.
The 2019 Youth of the Year Award recipients are as follows (in no particular order):
Ashlee Hick, Qais Khan, and Sylvia Masich Missing – Juri Sudo-Rustad. (via City of Prince George) Qais Khan was admitted into the College Heights leadership class a year early due to his outstanding record of volunteering at school functions. Soon after, he joined the Rotary Interact Program and made significant contributions to Smiles, a pediatric Pen Pal program, and other Rotary initiatives. His commitment was recognized by his peers who elected him Interact Club president in his first year. Qais has demonstrated academic excellence and is on the Principal's list.
Ashlee Hick
Ashlee Hick has an impressive list of volunteer achievements both in and out of school, and is the valedictorian of her graduating class at College Heights Secondary (CHSS). She was also recently selected to speak at We Day Vancouver, a celebration of youth empowerment attended by 18,000 people from across the province. Her speech was about the Independent Anti-bullying and Positive Mental Health (ARK) Program, which she co-founded at CHSS.
Sylvia Masich
Sylvia Masich has been a dedicated athlete, volunteer, and coach for the Prince George Track and Field Club for the past eight years. Sylvia is also particularly committed to the Special Olympics and worked to have special Olympians included in the regular track and field training program. Her efforts resulted in three Special Olympic athletes qualifying for the high school track provincial championships.
Juri Sudo-Rustad
At 17, Juri Sudo-Rustad was recently the youngest person ever elected to the board of the Prince George Community Arts Council and is its first-ever youth advocate. Juri is an active advocate for youth and the arts in the community and has won numerous awards for her own art. She is currently studying on exchange in Japan, but her parents accepted the award on her behalf.
