A White Rock teen will be representing the seaside city in August in the hopes of being named a British Columbia Ambassador.
Paige Glazier, 17, will be vying for one of three provincial titles.
As a B.C. Ambassador, Glazier would travel throughout the province promoting the program’s mandate of education, motivation and self-esteem.
“I thought it would be a good thing for me to do, it would be a challenge,” she said.
Along with the 10 candidates, Glazier will be judged on her general knowledge of B.C. during a three-hour written test, as well as public-speaking abilities, presentation skills and talent during the four-day gala event set to begin on Aug. 13 in Merritt.
Even before announcing her candidacy in March, Glazier had been accumulating dozens of hours of volunteer work at a number of local events, including the Peace Arch Hospital Gala, the Taste of B.C. and a stint at Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg’s office, as well as work with NightShift Ministries. This year alone, she has volunteered nearly 400 hours. In order to keep in touch with the community about her work, Glazier added that she has also created a Facebook page and Twitter profile.
The high school senior said she plans to use what she learns as a candidate and – hopefully as a B.C. Ambassador – to further her anti-bullying message, a cause close to her heart after experiencing bullying at school.
“It’s a great way to learn more about public speaking in order to help with my anti-bullying campaign,” she said, noting she is in the works to create a program designed for young children in order to target the problem at its root. “I’m (running for to be a B.C. Ambassador) because I don’t think people should go through what I went through. Even if I don’t get the title I’m still going to continue with this message.”
The B.C. Ambassador program was founded to instill leadership qualities, assist in post-secondary education expenses through bursaries and scholarships, and create networking opportunities as well as foster friendships throughout B.C.
The program is open to men and women aged 17 to 23 who have held previous titles in their own communities.
For more information, visit www.bcambassador.com