LOCAL TEEN Aizlyn Auckland, 18, will be presented with an international award for children with disabilities who excel later this month.
Auckland, who graduated from Caledonia Senior Secondary in 2010, will receive a 2011 Yes I Can! Award in community service from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) for her achievements in educating others about disabilities.
Auckland loves community service and takes advantage of every opportunity to educate others about living with disabilities.
At the Terrace Volunteer Bureau, she is responsible for cataloging learning resources for the Adult Literacy Program.
She has developed a custom power point presentation she does for elementary school students to increase awareness of cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
She has even served as a guest lecturer for pediatric nursing students at the University of Northern British Columbia to help them learn how to better communicate with children with disabilities.
And Auckland helps manage the Ferry Island campground with her foster family.
Each year, CEC honors 27 students with disabilities who have excelled with awards in nine categories: academics, arts, athletics, community service, employment, extracurricular activities, independent living skills, self-advocacy and technology.
Auckland will be honored at the Yes I Can! Award Ceremony April 27 in National Harbor, Maryland, as part of the CEC 2011 Convention and Expo.