When Peace Wapiti Academy student Hannah Schmakeit visited Ottawa this spring on a Rotary Club-sponsored trip, she was able to make connections with people from around the world.
The Grovedale resident spoke with new Canadians right after their citizenship ceremony, gaining new insight into what it really means to be a Canuck.
“One of the unsaid privileges is that pretty much everyone means that we all have that common ground of, ‘hey, we’re Canadian.’ We’re living in Canada, we can talk, we can express ourselves and not be afraid of any repercussions.”
She and 200 other youth from across the country were in the capital to learn about both the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship.
The highlight of the trip was her interaction with the Ambassador to the Korean Republic, when she got the chance to speak a little of his language.
“I went up to him and I was like, ‘can I have a picture?’, so I should his hand and got a picture and said [thank you in Korean]. He completely lit up at even the slightest bit that I knew, and it was so cool.”
She says her experience has helped her realize she’s like to pursue a future in languages.
Photo: Hannah Schmakeit with His Excellency Ambassador Cho Hee-yong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea.