Helen Sava

Throughout this year, I have had a different experience than the other ICE students. A big part of the ICE year was to go on trips and experience things firsthand. However, because 2020 was supposed to be an Olympic year, I had to sacrifice going on the school trips and keep training for swimming.

I missed out on a lot of the fun during exciting trips such as winter camping, Ottawa, and Wanakita. The only trip that I could have go to was the Challenge

Week in B.C. and this was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. What a disappointment!

The Toronto Island trip was the only big ICE trip that I went on this year and it became very important. I was really out of my comfort zone during this trip, as I had to talk to strangers and interview them. This trip made me more resolute and helped me prepare for other projects when I had to interview others (for example, my swimming podcast and my final ICE project).

As a person, the ICE program and its demands helped me grow and become more responsible, as I have learned how to become more balanced with my swim life and school. Over the course of the year, I have lost lots of class time when I was supposed to work on projects, learn about new topics, and participate in class discussions (just to name a few). Because of this, I had to compensate at home in my little spare time and cram homework, research, study for tests, and work on final projects, while rescheduling and prioritizing tests and deadlines with my teachers, who were very helpful.

As a Canadian, I have learned how to become a better active citizen towards the communities that I am involved with. Before Grade 9, I didn't really knew too much about my duties and rights, and I got involved in fundraising activities only through my family. With our Civic Action unit, I was able to participate in a program called Cyber Seniors, where I went to the Deer Park library and taught seniors how to use Ipads. Because of this independent activity, I was able to help others in the community and achieve skills that I can use later to offer my services to people in need in order to increase my role as an active citizen.