COCHRANE— A young woman from Cochrane has been selected to hold a position on the Ministry of Education Minister’s Youth Council.
The council consists of students aged 14 to 19 from across the province and representing Cochrane High School, and the Rocky View School District is 15-year-old Elliot Strawson.
Elliot said that she had to submit a written application before being selected for an interview to join the Youth Council.
She was one of roughly 60 students interviewed, of which 41 were selected to represent Alberta’s in-school youth.
The Minister’s Youth Council members serve a 10-month term that aligns with the school year.
Elliot said that she has already had a meeting with Minister Adriana LaGrange, which covered what school looks like during the return under COVID-19, and the regulations and guidelines in place.
An important piece of being part of the committee is bringing forward concerns and considerations
“I’m really comfortable with meeting with my tri-school site and with principles of the tri-school site,” she said, adding that she hopes to extend her reach past the tri-school area to get the attention of other schools in Rocky View as well.
The first official meeting of the Youth Council will be held this weekend to discuss the future concerns that the council can bring forward.
At the forefront of Elliot’s mind are topics like mental health and drug and alcohol abuse, she said.
"I did a speech for my English class and we talked about, sort of, what drug abuse and alcohol abuse looks like in this town, and my dream was to stop that happening with youth,” she said. “I do plan to bring that to minister LaGrange and to talk more about that with her.”
She said she plans to bring that message to the students in her school as well, to inform them of what some of the side effects of addiction are, to better the overall health of the community.
She said she hopes to see the Youth Council be a positive force in the communities.
“I really want to see the Youth Council achieve being really positive for our communities because sooner or later, I can guarantee there are going to be people in our time that are going to be running our country and be running our communities,” she said. “I really hope this council can prepare us for that.”
Elliot said that she feels well outside of her comfort zone, but is looking forward to the opportunity in front of her.
“Being on this Youth Council is definitely going outside of my comfort zone,” she said. “If my mom or dad had told me ‘you’re going to represent Rocky View’ two years from now on the Youth Council of Alberta, I would never have believed it.”
Elliot’s mother, Candice Strawson said she felt confident in her daughter. While Elliot worked through the application process, she said she could see her daughter’s confidence grow. Elliot went from feeling out her depth to believing that she was the right person for the position, Strawson said.
“We’re just so excited for her. We’re really proud,” she said.
Elliot is looking to hear from fellow students and staff within the Rocky View School system.
If you are a student with a concern or comment, you can reach out to a teacher or faculty member for ways to get in touch with your representative on the Minister’s Youth Council.
