Thank You to our 2024 CYCA Supporters!

Meet our 2024 Chief Youth Courage Award Honorees

Saira Mehmood – MASST – Award Proudly Presented by Bennett Jones

This year’s winner of the 2024 Multi Agency School Support Team (MASST) Chief Youth Courage Award is Saira. Saira was first introduced to the MASST program in 2022 as a way to provide her with additional support while her father was experiencing a severe medical issue. This medical problem was causing Saira a lot of stress at home and was impacting her at school as well.

Her MASST team worked hard with Saira to develop a trusting relationships and supported her by connecting her and her family with a variety of learning and mental health resources. Through this support, Saira learned emotional regulation techniques, learned how to cope with her anxiety, and started to gain more confidence.

The MASST team also embraced Saira’s curious nature and love of animals by sending her to a ROAAR Equine Therapy camp and the Green Fool’s Circus camp. Through these activities, Saira developed positive relationships with her peers and spread positivity among the participants.

Saira is described by her MASST team as a kind, polite, and loving young girl who is becoming a true leader and mentor in her school and community. We are so excited to present Saira with this award and cannot wait to see what her future holds. Congratulations, Saira!

Areeb Khan – YouthLink Calgary – Award Proudly Presented by Pulse Seismic

The recipient of the 2024 YouthLink Calgary Chief Youth Courage Award is Areeb. Areeb first got involved with YouthLink when he attended an online safety presentation in Grade 7 and another one in Grade 9. This year, he was invited to participate in the YouthLink Calgary Cyber Safety Summit due to how engaged he had been in previous presentations. YouthLink presenters noted that Areeb stood out to them in class, as he demonstrated a strong understanding of potential online hazards and consequences.

Areeb was nominated for this award due to his work ethic, contributions to his school community and positive influence on his peer group. Areeb is well spoken, knowledgeable, and has shown a keen interest in cyber safety. At school, Areeb has also taken it upon himself to establish a Minecraft Club and a Robotics Club.

In addition to this prestigious awards, Areeb was also chosen as one of five youth who will engage with Chief Constable Mark Neufeld during a news conference as part of YouthLink Calgary’s Cyber Safety Summit.

We are so proud to present this award to Areeb in recognition of his leadership, dedication, and commitment to cyber safety. Congratulations, Areeb!

Daniel Tuncay – Power Play – Award Proudly Presented by Bennett Jones

This year’s winner of the 2024 Power Play Chief Youth Courage Award is Daniel. Daniel has been a participant of the Power Play program since 2023 after moving to Canada from Ukraine. Daniel joined Power Play with the hope of meeting new friends, gaining confidence, and learning about the Canadian way of life. Since joining, Daniel has immersed himself in sports, staying active, learning new skills, and becoming more confident. Daniel has also embraced the CPS members who run and volunteer with Power Play, even coming early to eat dinner and visit with them.

Daniel is described by program leads as hard working, dedicated, and someone who faces challenges head on. He is known among his peers for being extremely welcoming, always having a positive attitude, and for his willingness to learn new things.

Daniel is a true testament to the impactful role powerplay can have on youth and we are so excited for him to represent the program. Congratulations, Daniel on everything you have achieved.

Khalid Ali – ISSP – Award Proudly Presented by Mini Mall Storage

This year’s honoree for the 2024 ISSP Chief Youth Courage Award is Khalid. Khalid has attended Patrick Airlie Elementary since the third grade, when he immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia. When he first arrived in Canada, Khalid did not speak any English. Since then, with hard work, dedication, and the help of school staff, Khalid can now communicate fluently in English with his peers.

Khalid is known throughout the school as being a leader. He works hard and has shown tremendous resiliency throughout his time at Patrick Airlie. His teachers describe him as friendly, charismatic, and someone who always demonstrates a positive attitude. Khalid always volunteers to help his teachers and peers when needed, and he can always be counted on both inside and outside of the classroom.

We are so proud of the immense growth Khalid has shown over the past few years. With the support of the ISSP program, he has truly flourished and we could not be more thrilled to have him represent the Integrated School Support Program. Congratulations, Khalid!

Indya Fripp – Calgary Police Cadet Corps – Award Proudly Presented by Bennett Jones

This year’s winner of the 2024 Calgary Police Cadet Corp Chief Youth Courage Award is Indya Fripp. Indya has been a Cadet for the last two years and is known throughout the program as being the ‘model cadet’. Since joining the Calgary Police Cadet Corps, Indya has risen to the rank of Sergeant by demonstrating exceptional teamwork, volunteerism, and a willingness to help her fellow cadets.

Indya’s cadet leaders describe her as an extremely positive, humble person who is consistently working on bettering herself and being a mentor to those around her.

We are so proud of everything Indya has achieved during her time in the Calgary Police Cadet Corps and cannot wait to see what her future holds as she pursues a career with the Calgary Police Service.

Kai Nicholas – Bridges to Brighter Futures – Proudly Supported by Shaw Family Foundation

This year’s winner of the 2024 Bridges to Brighter Futures Chief Youth Courage Award is Kai. Kai was introduced to us after he played the steel pan at our 2023 Caribbean Youth Summit. Kai has been playing the steel pan since he was very young and has participated in a variety of Carifest and community events since the fourth grade. After performing O’Canada for Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, Kai was invited to join the Calgary Police Service Diversity Resource team for the Caribbean Youth Summit.

At the summit, Kai truly embraced the opportunity by networking with potential employers, post-secondary institutions, and fellow attendees. Event organizers describe Kai as both a driven athlete and a talented musician. He is known for being a leader and a role model to his peers, while embracing any and all opportunities that come his way.

We know that Kai will be an incredible representative for the Bridges to Brighter Futures program and cannot wait to present him with this prestigious award. Congratulations, Kai!

Makya Homan – Youth at Risk Development Program – Award Proudly Presented by SLB

This year’s winner of the 2024 Youth at Risk Development Program Chief Youth Courage Award is Makya Homan. Mayka has been part of the YARD program since November of 2022. 

Throughout her time in the program, under the guidance of her YARD team, Mayka has shown a tremendous amount of growth. YARD program staff describe Makya as a hard working, bright, and resilient individual who one day dreams of becoming a social worker. 

Over the years, Makya has embraced her Metis culture, while proving to be a talented basketball player as well. 

We are so proud of everything Makya has accomplished and cannot wait to see what she does next. Congratulations, Makya!