French for the Future presents the 35 Grade 10 and 11 students selected to take part in the 2023 National Ambassador Youth Forum! The choice was difficult, the 150 applications we received impressed us both by their demonstration of the candidates' motivation and by the passion for the French language that shone through in the texts and videos they sent in. In the end, 35 students stood out from the crowd and will be meeting from August 13 to 18 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The teens will take part in activities discussing the importance of bilingualism and learning French. They will also receive training in project management, enabling them to create their own francophone events during the following school year. This will give them the tools they need to become bilingual leaders in their communities.
The ambassadors help share the mission of French for the Future across the country, and will continue the work of last year's 33 ambassadors. Namirembe Nafatsawo, 2022 ambassador from Le Pas, Manitoba, has already passed on a message to them, "Be ready to work, be ready to learn, and above all be ready to have fun!"
For the 35 lucky selected participants, all costs associated with their participation in the forum will be covered by the organization. The French for the Future team looks forward to providing them with an unforgettable week that will strengthen their sense of belonging to Canada's Francophone and Francophile communities.
The 35 ambassadors of the 2023 FNJA:
Emily Chen, Edmonton AB
Dorothy Fang, Calgary AB
Grace Mfou Eboa, Edmonton AB
Michael Yang, Edmonton AB
Hidaya Youssouf, Edmonton AB
Joshua Zhou, Edmonton AB
Laura Alcock, Saanich BC
Liberté Baileyvaudandaine, Victoria BC
Rhett Cotton, Vancouver BC
Ruby Craig, Surrey BC
Ashley Hall, Delta BC
Owen Wang, Vancouver BC
London Fraser, Ste-Geneviève MB
Mireille Lemoine, Ste-Agathe MB
Neela Vermeulen, Winnipeg MB
Alelia Miller, Sackville NB
Romuald Torrecilla, Quispamsis NB
Alyssa Dober, Marystown NL
Jacob Farrell, Paradise NL
Eraj Badar, Pickering ON
Stella Bégin, Orangeville ON
Alessandro De Menech, London ON
Kiana Gholizadehvazvani, Ottawa ON
Trudeau Gulati, Paris ON
Siena Mazzotta, Toronto ON
Justine Perreault, Ottawa ON
Kelly Wang, Toronto ON
Michael Suyavong, Toronto ON
Frida Schneider, Stratford PE
Ava Sulpher, Malpeque PE
Chelsie Huang, Brossard QC
Phoebe Norman, St-Donat QC
Neyva Abbasi, Moose Jaw SK
Nyshane Clarke, Regina SK
Kassia Emery, Whitehorse YT