This year’s winner for the 2022 Calgary Police Cadet Corps Chief Youth Courage Award is Xavier Martinez. Xavier joined the Cadets in September of 2018. Throughout his time in the program, he has always been known to be a very positive person who keeps an open mind and treats everyone with respect. He has shown continuous growth over the past few years and is recognized as a leader within the group.

As a result of this incredible growth, Xavier was appointed as Chief Cadet in 2021. During his time in the program, the Cadet Corps faced some struggles due to COVID-19. The program had to be temporarily suspended, leaving the future looking bleak. Xavier embraced his leadership role within the Cadets and dedicated himself to helping rebuild the program. Through his passion, perseverance and integrity, he has successfully helped the Calgary Police Cadet Corps rebuild to a level even stronger than it was pre-COVID.

Xavier has one year remaining in the Calgary Police Cadet Corps, though he may need to move on sooner if he chooses to attend university early. Regardless of how much time he has remaining in the program, we are confident that Xavier will continue to grow into an amazing young man. We are so excited to present Xavier with this prestigious award and are grateful for everything he has done for the Calgary Police Cadet Corps.

Fast Facts – About Xavier

What do you want people to know about you? That I value acts of service to the community and to our country.

Who is your hero? Elon Musk. He is an amazing inventor and entrepreneur who inspires generations. He is also very creative, which I admire.

What do you love about Calgary? I love the energy in the city. There is a ton of opportunity here and the community is always supportive. I like the city skyline and the environment around us, such as the mountains. We truly are living in “Canada’s Backyard”.

What do you think are the main reasons youth get involved in crime? Lack of education or lack of positive role models.

What do you think would stop youth from getting involved in crime? More education so that youth could understand the consequences of their actions and could see that there is a way out.

Where do you see yourself in the next few years? Studying business in Vancouver. I love the environment there. I would also like to explore the possibility of joining the Armed Forces (Combat Intelligence) or maybe politics.

What do you do for fun? I like to play golf and tennis, and enjoy hiking in the summer.

Tell us about one thing you would like to accomplish this year? I would love to have the Cadet program stabilized with good leadership before my time there is up.

How would you describe your perfect day? First, I would get 8 hours of sleep. Then I would shower, go to Denny’s for breakfast and hit the gym. Next, I would take a trip to the mountains for a hike. Afterwards, I would go to Saltlik for dinner and finish the night watching a comedy movie with my cat.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I would love to be able to shoot lightening.

What message do you have for other youth who might need help dealing with their everyday lives? I would tell them to take a step back. Breathe. Know that it is ok to be stressed or cry. I would tell them that they are strong and that they are never truly alone.