After submitting an essay about her experiences in outdoor education, Grade 11 student Joelene Cormier-Laxdal won the Youth Ambassador Award, presented by paddling gear company Level 6.

Earlier this year Cormier-Laxdal learned from her English and outdoor education teacher Jordan Kent, about an opportunity to write an essay describing what being in the outdoors meant to her.

The content of her essay revolved around her experiences in the outdoors and why being outdoors is important to her, namely how it helps her escape from the world and clear her mind.

“It helps me restore my energy that I’ve lost throughout the day or throughout the week,” she said.

To her own surprise, while she was sitting in class one day, she received an e-mail informing her that she was invited to the Ottawa Adventure Film Festival after winning the Youth Community Ambassador Award.

“I wrote that, among a bunch of other students and youth around Ottawa and I was chosen,” she said.

According to Kent, Cormier-Laxdal has been an instrumental leader in PHS’ outdoor education program and other extracurricular clubs ever since arriving at the school five years ago.

“She’s just a good role model for the other students,” he said. “She takes the time to teach others around her. She shares her passion for the outdoors. She gets other people to come out and to try it and that sort of passion and enthusiasm is contagious.”

For Kent, seeing Cormier-Laxdal win the award came as a surprise that brought a great sense of joy.

“It was quite an honour to see her receive that award,” he said.

During the festival’s award show, Level 6 owner Stig Larsson presented her with a triangular wooden trophy made of recycled skateboards, an ambassador account with the company as well as a scholarship.

“I can get a lot of their clothes and stuff,” she said.

While she wasn’t too familiar with the company before – having only seen some of their stuff here and there – Cormier-Laxdal looks forward to taking advantage of great deals on high-quality canoeing gear going forward.

“Now that I have that, I can get gear and do more canoeing and feel like I have the proper equipment for it,” she said.

For Cormier-Laxdal, winning the award proved to her that being passionate about the outdoors can have a positive impact on other people whether its inspiring them to do the same as her or by taking on different kinds of activities.

“Just by being a person that loves the outdoors, you can help other youth realize that they can start doing more things and that they can be recognized for doing outdoor activities as well,” she said.

Coming from a small town, the 17-year-old admitted that winning the award, among a lot of candidates from all over the national capital region, felt extra special.

“It really meant a lot because I never thought I’d win an award like that,” she said. “For the outdoors, in front of like a whole Ottawa Adventure Film Festival’s community … for me to win an award by them was really amazing.”

Cormier-Laxdal said she has been an avid enthusiast of the outdoors ever since being introduced to PHS’ canoe club program, back in grade seven.

“Ever since then, I’ve been doing more outdoor stuff,” she said.

She explained that PHS’ outdoor education program has been very beneficial for her, as it provides her with all sorts of opportunities to experience the outdoors while fostering connections with great people.

“I was able to learn how to canoe,” she said. “That was definitely something that was most enjoyable. But it’s also the atmosphere of people that are with you. When you’re all together doing stuff, like canoeing or going hiking, you kind of have a community of people that you all respect.”

While she plans on studying mechanics once finished high school, Cormier-Laxdal hopes to continue experiencing the outdoors for years to come.

“I do wish to keep the outdoors a huge part of my life, in the future,” she said.

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