LAC LA BICHE - For Lyric Jesso, life is all about contributing to the lives of others positively and working to make his community a better place.
The 16-year-old Grade 12 J. A Williams High School student is Lac La Biche County’s 2023 Junior Citizen of the Year.
Jesso was selected from several young candidates whose nominations were sent to the organizing committee for the Light Up the Night event.
Dedicated volunteer
Jesso has become a familiar face around the community as a dedicated volunteer who lends his time to local organizations such as the Junior Forest Ranger Program and Lac La Biche County Protective Services, where he serves as a firefighter cadet. Jesso is also an active member of the JAWS Interact Club as well as the student advisory committee.
Volunteering, and trying to be a better person in society, he says, has taught him many valuable lessons and principles not that only assist him on a daily basis, but ones which he will use throughout his life.
“I enjoy the gratitude and happiness I gain from helping others,” Jesso stated. "Once I got to the age of about nine or 10, I started to understand how I could contribute to the lives of others positively through volunteering and working in the community."
Jesso has also taken on leadership roles in organizing community events. During the summer of 2022, he worked as a summer student for the Métis Nation of Alberta Region One office in Lac La Biche. He played a significant role in helping to organize the Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration at McArthur Park.
“I took it upon myself, of course, with the help of the many amazing staff at the office, to contribute as much effort and time into this event as possible, which I felt showcased my Indigenous heritage and culture and allowed the sharing of knowledge and tradition throughout the day,” he explained, adding that the event was a huge success.
Jesso is also a committed student who, according to one of the JAWS teachers that nominated him, ‘has consistently excelled in his coursework, displaying a strong work ethic and a genuine passion for learning. He actively participates in class discussions, always offering insightful perspectives and engaging his classmates in meaningful dialogue.’
“I love to socialize with my friends and learn more about topics that interest me, specifically math and sciences, he said, adding that his favourite subject is biology.
Pursuing a career in science
The energetic youth has his sights set on pursuing careers both as a conservation biologist and an Indigenous environmental policy analyst. He has secured a spot with the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Science with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, which is a four-year degree.
In addition to his studies and volunteer work, Jesso is also a certified volleyball referee, and has officiated for tournaments at J.A Williams High School as well as other schools within the community.
How exactly does he find the time to do everything?
“In the end, time always finds me,” said Jesso, an accomplished pianist who has played for the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, and at various special events.
Last Wednesday, Jesso learned that he had been nominated to be the 2023 Junior Citizen of the Year. He received a phone call from his mother late in the evening, who told him to tell his grandparents right away.
“While they were just as surprised, I felt the room fill with happiness as I realized the accomplishment and honour I had just received,” he told Lakeland This Week, explaining the family reaction.
Lighting up the big tree
At Friday's Light Up the Night parade, Jesso arrived in style, riding in the iconic, Christmas-decorated Coca Cola truck along with Santa Claus. The newly-minted junior citizen of the year said he has attended every year since he was a small child — and never thought he'd be one of the star attractions.. As Junior Citizen of the year, he was also given the honour of flipping the switch to light up the big 40-foot-tall tree at the Northern Lights Public Schools sub-office on 101B Avenue.
“I will always remember going to the parade when I was younger with my grandparents and always being so amazed with all the colourful lights and the size of the tree,” he said. “I am so grateful to get the opportunity to be the one to spread that joy into the lives of others and into the eyes of those who are just as passionate as me.”
Encouraging other youth to volunteer
Jesso has overcome challenges in his young life, challenges that he looks at as lessons to be learned from. Since childhood, he has had moderate to severe hearing loss in both his ears, something that has required many surgeries. Those challenges have helped him work towards goals and find alternate routes to get to them. Volunteering has been one of those routes.
He is hopeful that more young people will step up to the plate and be willing to contribute to their communities through volunteering.
“I recognize that kids in our generation are busy and active, but I feel that all it takes is awareness, that one small act and one small commitment can cause a ripple that can have a positive impact on their lives and the lives of many others,” he said. “I have been doing my best to encourage others to get into volunteering, even just getting out in the community, and it makes me very happy to hear about the joy and enthusiasm they feel afterwards.”
in several nomination forms from community members, including teachers at his school, Jesso's community spirit, kind nature, and work ethic were highlighted.
For more details on some of those nominations, go to www.lakelandtoday.ca for more information on the process to select Jesso for the award this year.
