A trio of Lloydminster high school seniors are making history as some of the first-ever recipients of a prestigious provincial Catholic leadership honour, sparking tears of pride from their families and mentors alike.
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Valentina Corredor, Francis Ekwunife, and Milena Kokonas — all Grade 12 students at Holy Rosary High School (HRHS) — received the Archbishop Catholic Education Student Leadership Award during an emotional, packed gymnasium ceremony following a school prayer service on Thursday, May 14.
The inaugural award, established by the Archbishop and Most Rev. Stephen A. Hero, recognizes exceptional graduating students across Alberta who actively live out their faith through academic excellence, parish involvement and community prayer life.
While the provincial award program was slated to launch last year, a transition period between archbishops left the diocese without a sitting leader to present the honours. To fill the gap last year, the Lloydminster Catholic School Division (LCSD) independently created the local Catholic Spirit of Youth Award.
Now, with Archbishop Hero firmly at the helm, the official provincial initiative is fully underway. Every Catholic school division across Alberta selects two to three standout winners each year.
“Our new archbishop was really excited that this had been started and wanted to continue it,” said Wendy Orieux, an academic advisor and faith leadership team member at Holy Rosary.
Selecting just three winners from the division proved to be an intense but harmonious task for the local selection committee, which comprised 10 teachers.
“All three of them are very different in how they’re showing and demonstrating their Catholic faith,” Orieux said, noting the committee quickly reached a consensus without even needing a formal vote. “We had a hard time, but these three stood out for us.”
The magnitude of the honour caught both the students and their families completely off guard when the division secretly gathered them three weeks ago.
“I actually cried when we told them,” Orieux admits. “They walked into the chapel and we told them, and their parents were there. They didn’t know yet … two of the moms cried when I told them on the phone. It’s a pretty big honour.”
For the recipients, the provincial recognition serves as a powerful validation of their 13-year journey through the Catholic education system.
“Looking back on all of my school years, from kindergarten to Grade 12, I’ve been in a Catholic school,” Corredor said. “Just seeing this award and winning it, I just feel appreciated.”
Kokonas echoed that sentiment, viewing the accolade as a reflection of her dedication to community service.
“It feels great to get it because it feels like the volunteering that I’ve done and all the help I’ve given has been recognized,” Kokonas said. “It just feels good that I’ve made an impression in the school.”
As graduating seniors in a large high school, both Corredor and Kokonas recognize the responsibility that comes with being designated as spiritual role models for younger classmates.
“It feels really good,” Kokonas said. “It feels great to know that kids are watching and, hopefully, they can achieve this award eventually, too. They can see what we’ve done in this school, and hopefully, it pushes them to help out and volunteer more.”
When asked about the driving force behind their leadership, both students point to a deeply personal relationship with God that anchors their daily lives.
“Faith is important because I just love to have a relationship with God. It makes me feel like I have someone always looking out for me and guiding me through my life,” said Corredor. “It allows me to know that I have a plan in life.”
“Faith just guides my life,” Kokonas added. “It’s knowing I’m not alone — I have God, my family, and people who support me all the time. I’m not alone in my journey.”
The three Lloydminster youth will travel to the Archdiocese in Edmonton on Friday, May 22, for a formal celebratory luncheon.
The students will also receive an exclusive invitation to return to the capital in October to attend the annual Archbishop’s Dinner.
Organizers originally intended to present the leadership awards during the autumn gala but rescheduled the primary presentation to May to accommodate the shifting lives of graduating high school seniors.
“Because they’re Grade 12s, by next October they’re not ours anymore,” Orieux explains. “They could be anywhere in the world, never mind in Alberta. So, they decided to have a luncheon in May so that it’s a little bit easier for them to attend.”
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