On Thursday, June 12, 28 students at James Anderson Learning Centre were honoured as Ambassadors of Compassion during their graduation ceremony held at the Fraser Presentation Centre in the Langley Township facility.
These students were the first in Canada to complete the unique youth empowerment program. The program is offered in many U.S. schools.
As they received their AOC certificate of completion, 20 of those students were also presented with a scholarship for $1,000 to one of three local colleges, Vancouver Career College, CDI College, or College of Visual Art and Design.
Among the special guests for the evening were Ambassadors of Compassion founder Eric Hannah, and actor Noel G (Fast and the Furious, Training Day, Bruce Almighty, Dark Knight Rises, Walking Dead), who interacted with the audience on Skype, and encouraged students to live their dreams and not let anyone tell them they couldn’t achieve their goals.
Principal Dr. Patrick Thomas chose to bring the AOC program into JALC, because he felt the content and direction of the AOC Journey integrated well with the educational leadership model the school has implemented. Students spoke highly of the program and its impact on them personally, as well as on their school. Students were also asked to demonstrate compassion through specific actions as part of their journey.
“I learned to accept others and where they are coming from and also to accept myself,” said graduate Keegan Middleton.
“Ambassadors of Compassion really helped me delete negative influences from my life and get on with the positives to become the best person I can be. I’m still working at it every day,” said Jessica Richard.
Kelsey O’Hara added “I was really shy. It gave me the chance to open up and meet new friends and help other people along their way. I noticed it helped a lot of students.”
James Anderson is merging with Apex School next fall.
The AOC program centres around such topics as choosing your own goals and dreams, limiting the negative influences in your life, forgiving yourself or those around you, and not letting the limits or failures of the past keep you from moving ahead to reach your goals.
To learn more, go to aoclife.org.
