Age: 18
Occupation:
Grade 12 Student, Strathmore High School
What do you enjoy most about school?
Seeing all my friends everyday, learning something new everyday.
What school activities are you involved in?
Football, basketball, and rugby.
What does being involved in sports mean to you?
Football runs in the family.- my Dad was in it. And It’s a place where I can be myself without being bothered by anything.
How did you become involved in teacher Deanna Bertsch’s play “New Blood”?
No one was willing to do it, so I stepped up to the plate. My Grandfather wrote the poem the play is based on.
Who is your Grandfather?
Siksika (Blackfoot) Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman.
How close are you with your Grandfather?
I’m really close with him. He’s the guy I go to for advice.
What is his poem about?
The poem is about my Grandfather growing up and being in a residential school, and how it affected his life.
What was the hardest thing to hear about your
Grandfather’s life?
How he lost his parents and siblings.
What kind of impact does that have knowing how your Grandfather grew up?
It has a big impact. He’s such a happy person- how can he go from a childhood like that to being the man he is today? I want to be like him. It motivates me.
How have you enjoyed acting in the play?
I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. It’s good to see people go out of their comfort zones to help tell the story.
What’s on the horizon for you after high school graduation?
I’m focused on getting into a good university for football. If that doesn’t work, I’m either going into acting or the military.
