Glendon School's Makenna Makaruk and Sierra Robinson have earned international recognition, receiving Bronze awards in the prestigious 2025 Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition.
Teacher Colette Primeau introduced the competition to her Grade 7 students after the class discussed the Commonwealth as part of their social studies curriculum.
"We had the option to enter the contest or write the essay and just have her see it," explained Sierra. "No one else would enter because they all said we're not going to win, no one from our little school is going to win.' And then we won."
The competition offered students multiple essay topics, including imagining a voyage to a Commonwealth country, or imagining they were a mystical animal experiencing one. Makenna and Sierra both chose the option to research a Commonwealth country and its relationship with Canada.
"I wrote my essay about Cyprus," said Makenna, "It's got a cool history. It's also the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love."
She also learned about Cyprus' culture and how they embroider dresses with bright, vibrant colours and celebrate with different festivals.
Sierra focused her research on Fiji, highlighting the landscapes and the history of trade between Fiji and Canada.
"Their food is a big part of their culture and they make lots of dishes with fish and vegetables found on their island," she shared.
This is not the first time Glendon School has provided students with the opportunity to share their writing beyond the classroom. Last year, Makenna entered a poem she wrote in ATCO's Why Military Matters contest and was selected as one of the winners of a trip to the Invictus Games in Vancouver. Thirteen students in grades 4 and 5 were also selected as winners in the National Student Writing Contest and had their short stories published by Polar Bear Publishing.
Sierra and Makenna both had encouraging advice for students who are unsure about sharing their writing.
"Just go for it, because you never know if you are going to win," said Sierra. "It's just a nice experience to be part of."
"If you try your best, maybe you won't succeed, but you still attempted to do something bigger than you did before," added Makenna.
Makenna and Sierra are the NLPS Student Shining Stars for December, recognized not only for their academic excellence, but for demonstrating the positive school culture that makes their school shine.
