Grande Prairie’s 2024 Women of Influence Awards recognized countless women in business, volunteering, and trades with three awards and more than a dozen nominations at the Bowes in Bonnetts Energy Centre on March 8th.
Among those nominated, the Young Woman of Influence Award went to Daisy Nellis, the Trailblazing Woman of Influence Award went to Samantha Jones, and the Distinguished Woman of Influence Award went to Cecilia Mzvondiwa.
Daisy Nellis, a 16-year-old Grande Prairie Composite High School student and Youth Advisory Council Chair says the award opens up more opportunities for her to pave the way for other young women in her community.
“I’m really excited to have won the award and I also think that being the youngest woman will open a lot of doors for people coming up behind me and make things a little bit more easy to access for people,” she says. “I hope that winning the award gives more attention to the advisory council I think that’s a really worthy cause to have more youth join and have more youth voices show up to events.”
Nellis says her message to other young women in her position is to continue working hard and making connections in their communities.
“I also just want to use this to encourage people to get out in their communities to help others and help themselves.”
Samantha Jones, an electrical engineer for Drax Global and Vice Chair of the Peace Region APEGA branch says she has been through the trials and tribulations that come with being a female in a predominantly male work environment and plans to continue her advocacy for women in STEM through her volunteering in schools and workplaces.
“I’ve been saying a lot lately that all I feel like I do is little things and I feel like its a culmination of everything that I’ve been doing over the last ten years of my career and my charities and my volunteering that I guess it is making a big impact and it is making a difference despite me not feeling that I deserve to be recognized for it,” she says. “It’s crazy that there’s really only a few of us and it’s really got me passionate about breaking that gender barrier and getting more women involved in science and engineering and male-dominated careers because it’s really rewarding.”
Jones’s message to other females in traditionally male workforces is to continue pushing forward and keep in mind that women can do anything.
“Just keep going if you ever feel like you’re outnumbered or overwhelmed you can do anything that anybody else can do,” she says.
Cecilia Mzvondiwa is a Human Resources representative for Alberta Health Services and a part-time lawyer in her private practice born and raised in Zimbabwe and says the award is both “humbling and exciting.”
“There’s so many awesome women around Grande Prairie and the region,” she says. “I would say Grande Prairie and region grew me, I’ve been here for 17 years, I came here as a young woman going to school for my masters, and I’ve grown, I’ve gone to school, I’ve graduated, I’ve started businesses, so I would like to continue to support other women and pass on the light and shine the light on others by providing mentorship programs for young entrepreneurs.”
Mzvondiwa says she plans to continue advocating for women of colour immigrating to Canada through her law practice.
“I think the message I have is for Black immigrant women because it’s a struggle to come from another country and to start life all over again, and see yourself getting to where you want to be,” she says. “I think integration within the community is what helped me, so participating, volunteering, helping others, all those things do help in growing one and making one part of the community.”
All three women brought home a trophy, certificate, and a bouquet in recognition of their status as women of influence in Grande Prairie, and all nominees were recognized by name with a certificate at the ceremony as well.