Moose Jaw’s Maia Smith, 17, was one of five recipients of the Saskatchewan Junior Citizen of the Year Awards, presented by Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre on Thursday in Regina.
“It was really cool. I wasn’t expecting it at all, but it’s nice to have recognition for hard work, and it was cool getting to meet the royal representative for Saskatchewan,” Smith said.
As a child, Smith was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, but it was something she learned to embrace and used to drive her passion to help others.
Smith has volunteered as a camp leader for the past three summers at the Keddleston Gospel Camp. She has also volunteered at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital and Providence Place gift shops.
She said her volunteering sparked her interest in medicine, as she plans to study biomedical neuroscience at the University of Saskatchewan next year.
“Working in the hospital and talking to different people who are in the hospital has helped me expand my knowledge in the medical field, which is what I’m planning on going into,” she said.
In addition, Smith is an active member of the dance community, both performing and mentoring young dancers.
Fundraising for cancer research has also been a passion for Smith. In 2015, she had a grandparent on both sides of her family diagnosed with terminal cancer. In just two years, she raised more than $10,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation and was named Outstanding Youth Philanthropist of the Year by the foundation.
All of this, while maintaining a 95 per cent average in school.
Along with being recognized as a Junior Citizen of the Year, Smith will also receive a $3,000 bursary from SaskPower.