‘I like the responsibility of leading and helping’: Meadow Lake teen named Sask. Junior Citizen of the Year

The award also includes a scholarship of $3,000, which Cappelle said will help support his studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC) this fall. He plans to enter a dual-degree program combining a bachelor of science with a master’s of management.

Throughout high school, Cappelle has taken on leadership roles across academics, athletics and student life. He served as captain of the school’s wrestling and football teams and is currently president of the student council.

For Cappelle, leadership has often meant helping others grow into confidence.

“I like the responsibility of leading and helping these people grow and find out what roles they play best,” he said. “Especially in the sports aspect with being captain, encouraging people and helping them find who they are, almost as a mentor figure, I find it very fulfilling.”

Wrestling became one of the biggest parts of that experience.

Cappelle has been involved in the sport since 2016 and competed at nationals twice, including a second-place finish in U15 Greco-Roman wrestling while in Grade 8.

In recent years, however, he said his focus shifted more toward coaching and mentoring younger athletes.

“So some of my own wrestling was sacrificed in order to help my teammates.”

That same mindset also carried into the classroom, where Cappelle said he regularly spent time tutoring classmates and helping peers improve academically.

“I’ve taken some of my own time to tutor peers that help them get up their marks,” he said. “One way that I learn… is (by) teaching other people.”

Outside of sports and academics, Cappelle also spent four straight years on Carpenter High School’s student council, eventually becoming president. Among the initiatives he said he was most proud of was a school-wide Movember fundraiser featuring moustache competitions and pie-in-the-face auctions involving students and teachers, with proceeds supporting prostate and testicular cancer causes.

“It makes the school feel more alive,” he said. “Having this event is something to look forward to at the school.”

This fall, Cappelle will move to Vancouver to begin studies at UBC, where he hopes to continue pursuing both academics and leadership.

“Well, a big part of it is I am very academically inclined and I enjoy academics,” he said. “The other aspect is that I really like science.”

He said he is currently interested in pursuing research because of the opportunity to “learn something nobody’s ever learned before, and advance our understanding of the world.”

Cappelle also said he could potentially see himself entering politics later in life, partly because of his continued interest in leadership and public service.

“I think having a perspective as a scientist and a researcher in politics and coming from a rural community could bring a really unique perspective,” he said.

“It’s kind of a more lofty goal, but it is something I think I would enjoy eventually.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

‘I like the responsibility of leading and helping’: Meadow Lake teen named Sask. Junior Citizen of the Year

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