Shannon Williamson will be taking her school’s concerns to the provincial level. The Creighton Community School student was named to the Saskatchewan Provincial Youth Council, a group created to provide the provincial education ministry with tips from the kids they serve.
A Grade 12 student, Williamson currently serves as the president of Creighton’s student leadership council.
“My supervisor for that nominated me for that, through the school,” she said.
“When I came into high school, I was very interested in getting school spirit back into our school. I joined it trying to do that, then over time I just got more and more involved.”
Since she began getting involved with student governance, Williamson said she’s seen more kids getting involved.
“When I started, there was only eight people. Now, we have up to 25 kids and it’s getting better yet,” she said.
Some of the top priorities for Williamson will be promoting a sense of community and advocating for mental health care, particularly for northern students.
“One of my main goals in life is trying to help others and to support community and get more involvement in the community,” she said.
“Doing this, I want to bring more mental health systems into school. That’s one of the big things I’m going to try doing in this youth council.”
Another priority for Williamson regards budget cuts for school divisions, something she said she’s dealt with in Creighton.
“We’ve seen that a lot recently. We’re losing a lot of the classes we need for university,” she said.
One of 12 students from across Saskatchewan to be named to the council, Williamson is also one of only two northern residents to be named to the group. Only Peyton Chandler, a Grade 11 student at Minahik Waskahigan High School in Pinehouse, will join Williamson on the board.
“I’m trying to get mental health for all northern schools. We’ve had that problem with mental health up in the north, where lots of kids are going through it. I want to bring mental health supports that are specific for the schools, not something that rotates around,” she said.
“Being in high school, you see what kids go through. There’s a lot going on.”
Away from student organizations, Williamson plays on the Kodiaks’ basketball and volleyball teams. She just received the Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Award for Northern Student Achievement earlier this fall and has had the highest grade point average in her age group for the past two years.
