A Ucluelet youth’s inspirational dedication and drive has earned her a King Charles III Coronation Medal.
The creation of the medal was announced just prior to King Charles’ coronation in May of 2023 and the design and criteria for earning one was released a year later on the coronation’s first anniversary.
It is given to Canadians who “have made a significant contribution” to the country, or a specific province or region as well as those who have contributed outstanding achievements abroad that have brought credit to Canada, according to the federal government’s website.
Ucluelet’s Rheanna Garcia, 18, became one of just 30,000 Canadians across the country to receive one at a special ceremony held at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort on August 21.
The born and raised Ucluetian told the Westerly News she was not expecting the award and did not know she had been nominated for it by Mid Island - Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne.
“When Josie gave me the call that I had gotten this honour, I was completely shocked,” she said.
“I was incredibly grateful. I felt seen, definitely, by Canada in general for all the things I’ve done, especially in this community and this region…I’m grateful, honoured and couldn’t believe it.”
Osborne told the Westerly that she believed Garcia was a perfect fit for the recognition.
“This award is about recognizing somebody for their service to their community and for making a difference with their commitment to make this a better world. Rheanna really exemplifies that,” Osborne said.
“She’s a humble person who is strong and kind and compassionate and full of convictions and she’s ready to take on the world.”
She cited Garcia’s work on the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust’s Youth Advisory Committee as well as her service as co-president of Ucluelet Secondary School’s Surfrider Club and said her leadership skills shone brightly in all her pursuits.
“She’s passionate and committed to those causes, but she uses her leadership style to bring others to it,” Osborne said. “It’s not about the glory or the spotlight, it’s about doing good things and doing it with a big heart and a lot of passion and I thought it was important for a younger person like Rheanna to be recognized at this point in her life so that others can see more about what she does and why she does it. She’ll inspire a lot of other people.”
She added youth voices need to be valued and nurtured.
“I think too often we consider leaders to be those people who have lots of years of experience at a particular job or field of expertise and it’s important to look towards younger people to see that there are leaders at that age too. It helps us older adults, let’s say, to remember that the world we are creating is one that’s being left behind for future generations and she’s at the forefront of that next generation,” she said.
“Being recognized at a younger age, I think, is not only inspirational for adults to look back and remember why we do the work that we do, but also for other youth around her to recognize that their talents, their interests, their passions and the things that they care about are important to communicate to those of us in other types of leadership positions so that we never forget that.”
She added that recognizing committed and passionate youth helps to encourage the next generation to push themselves, buoyed by the support and enthusiasm surrounding them.
Jason Sam is a program coordinator with the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and said he was awed to watch Garcia’s leadership qualities excel during her time on the CBT’s Youth Advisory Committee.
“I’m super proud of Rheanna…Her growth and learning has been so tremendous. She has taken the opportunity and ran with it as a youth leader in all of our communities. She really stood out to me as super forward-thinking and this is something to celebrate. It’s a tremendous accomplishment that she’s had over years of work,” Sam said.
“I, myself, was an adult before I actually achieved some of the things that she has achieved at a young age, so I’m super proud of her work and super stoked on this acknowledgement that she has achieved.”
He added that youth like Garcia taking on leadership roles helps build confidence that the environment is in good hands with the next generation.
“The Clayoquot Biosphere Region is a very special place. A million people come visit here and she has worked to preserve the environment as well as support her communities. She has taken a leadership role and provided the youth voice. As an adult, seeing her excel and take these things on inspires me,” he said. “I couldn’t have a bigger smile, honestly…I’m hoping the things that she’s worked on will create a legacy of youth leadership. I hope she inspires the next generation of her peers to take on these roles.”
Garcia said the recognition made her feel seen for her environmental efforts, encouraging youth involvement and community inclusivity.
“Obviously, you’re not doing things just for the recognition, you’re doing them to better something else. That’s always what I go into everything that I do with, ‘How can I make this better? How can I perpetuate others’ voices and how can I make it more inclusive?’” she said.
“I’ve brought so many people together and brought more people into the conversation. I’ve contributed what I think and I’ve also learned from so many people.”
She added she is proud of the level of involvement she maintained throughout her time in high school.
“It’s made me realize that I am more capable than I ever believed I was. In just a couple of years, I’ve done so much and met so many amazing people that I can rely on and go back to and ask for advice and they’ll support me,” she said. “I really want to help others find that as well because it was mostly trial and error for myself, seeing what I could do, who would go with me and who would believe in me.”
She added she is particularly proud of her environmental efforts and has been inspired by other like minded and passionate people she’s met along that path.
“It is everything. We are nothing without the environment. We are nothing without nature. We come from nature. We are rooted in nature,” she said. “We are all one. The environment needs protecting and we’ve kind of gone in the wrong direction a little bit, but there’s so much hope and so many people working towards change. I’ve seen it firsthand with so many people here and also beyond when I’ve gone on trips across Canada. There’s so many people believing in the causes and so many people so passionate about the environment that it’s bringing others to come and realize it more and more. It’s our lifeblood.’
The recent Ucluelet Secondary School graduate is now heading to Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island University with a plan to pursue careers around environmental justice or teaching.
“I don’t want to be engaging with the same people my age all the time. I want to be engaging with the younger generation,” she said. “Everyone has ideas, but it’s just a different level that I’ve seen with the youth and I want to be a part of that because then I can continue growing my mind and learning more ideas about where we’re going and how I can help.”
Rheanna’s mom Jeannette Garcia said her daughter developed strong determination and drive from an early age.
“She works really, really, really hard and she has incredible focus. She sets out what she wants as far as her goals and she achieves them time and time again. She’s just an incredible young person who has so much potential and it’s incredible to see her acknowledged for the hard work that she’s put in,” she said.
“I never had to ask her to do homework. I never had to follow up on her with her schoolwork. I never had to push her. I always knew that she was just going to take care of it. She’s always been focused. She’s always taken ownership of whatever it is that she’s done. We are incredibly proud of her and the sky’s the limit.”
Jeannette was also raised in Ucluelet and said the mentorship and support her daughter has received from her West Coast communities has been “incredible.”
“To encourage her, to see the potential in her, to help drive her forward on her goals and help her to be able to gain confidence and believe in herself is instrumental in how well Rheanna has done. I think those lessons learned and that support will drive her forward into her adult life and into her student life as she moves forward into post secondary education.”
