Hard work and much effort earns student rewards

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Out of 180 young people nominated from across the province for a Queen's Golden Jubilee citizenship medal, 18-year-old Michelle Durocher of Fishing Lake was one of five to receive it.

On Feb. 11 at a dinner in the community, Durocher also picked up a $5,000 education scholarship. She was recognized for her outstanding involvement in her community and also for her commitment to education.

Durocher, who is currently taking a three-year drama concentration program with an English minor at Augustana University College in Camrose, paid for part of her education with the scholarship and bought a computer. Her mother Lorna was thrilled, but not surprised that her daughter was recognized for her values and qualities.

"Michelle was such a good kid growing up. We believe that my husband and I are blessed as parents of Michelle. We are very, very proud of her accomplishments and the acknowledgement that she has received. She is very deserving of the recognition. As a child she has always shown a dedication for her education. I've never had problems with her going to school," she said.

Her mother believes that Michelle is quite modest when it comes to accepting compliments and recognition for the good that she does.

"She does not think that what she's accomplished was such a big deal. She said she did good things without her realizing that it would make such a big impact on her life and others. It is a daily type thing for her," she said.

Along with her many positive qualities Lorna pointed out how her daughter was able to take care of herself in school.

"From the get-go, if there was ever any type of disagreement in school she was always quite vocal. She would tell them how she felt and then the problem, now and then, it will be out of the way and then she would carry on. I'm so honored that her teachers in Heinsburg should recognize this. She has a younger sister and a brother and by her being accepted into the university in Camrose, she's given them an incentive to continue their education, and they now say 'Michelle is in university and that is what I'm going to do.'"

June Jenkins, a teacher at the Heinsburg high school, nominated Michelle for the award. She was equally pleased that her former student was chosen. She said she nominated Michelle for the award because she not only had leadership qualities, values and respect, but she liked to have things happen and was very willing to make them happen.

"She worked well with others and you knew that you could rely on her. If Michelle was going to do something, she would get it done and it would be done well. She always did things quietly. She never made any noise about what she did. I think that in a small school for any student who has any interest in making it a better place for other students, they have to work toward that and Michelle did," she said.

Durocher said her parents have always given her a lot of support in whatever she wanted to do and that it was always comforting to her just to know that no matter what she chose to do someone was going to always be behind her. "That was very helpful to me education-wise."

Finishing school has always been important to them. That is what they always wanted for all their children and those kinds of morals and values have stuck with me and today I need to know more about what is out there," she said.

"I just want to let [people] to know that higher education means a better life for you. You cannot go on working from job to job. That is not a healthy lifestyle and not knowing what you want and not to believe in yourself is not healthy also. To get somewhere you need to have this kind of feeling of fulfillment. You need to know what you want and the only way to know what you want is to continue going to school.

"There is a lot more than saying you want a different life. You have to work really hard to get it. Some people have trouble understanding that. What I learned in high school is just touching the tip of he iceberg. Finishing high school is just the beginning. There is so much more to learn," she said.

Growing up in a small community and staying committed to her dreams was not always easy for Durocher.

"Not going out on weekends was the sacrifice I made knowing that I wanted more out of life. There were definitely things that I missed, like going back to school on a Monday and people talking about the parties they've gone to. It makes me feel kind of bad that I missed out on a party, but in the long run I knew not going was fine with me because there were so many productive things that I did. Nothing I dwell on today, because there is so many things that I'm getting out of life now.

"It is so honoring that I could've won this medal. Mrs. Jenkins always believed in me. She was such strong support and I really kind of absorbed that. She believed that I deserved this award and it is a such an emotional feeling knowing that someone believes in you even if you doubt yourself, that there is someone out there that knows that you can do it, who always believes in everybody and their abilities. I hope the students at the high school realize the teacher they have."