Prince Albert's Jennifer Lenny was chosen to receive a Community Engagement Award for 2022 Indigenous Achievement Week at the U of S campus. (Submitted photo)

By Susan McNeil

Student award

Community engagement becomes passion and reward for student

Mar 10, 2022 | 11:47 AM

A Prince Albert resident who moved here temporarily as a student almost a decade ago has not only found a home they didn’t expect, but is winning awards for community engagement.

Jennifer Lenny stands out amongst the other students in the SUNTEP program, which resulted in an award for community engagement, being presented today in a digital ceremony.

Not only do they spend their non-school time working several casual jobs, Lenny also volunteers in multiple places, such as chairperson of Prince Albert Pride and being part of the Heart of the Youth Community Powwow.

“The volunteering that I do, it’s just stuff that I enjoy doing and it’s stuff that comes from my heart and things that I’m passionate about,” Lenny said.

Lenny was given the Indigenous Student Achievement Award for Community Engagement at the Prince Albert campus of the University of Saskatchewan as part of 2022 Indigenous Achievement Week on March 10.

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Lenny is also a single parent, and a 2Spirit Métis person who uses the pronouns they/them.

They are now enrolled in the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program, a move made possible by realizing that learning can be lifelong.

“I really like working with adult learners and people who are changing their lives. But as I was working, I was regretful that I didn’t have a degree,” Lenny explained. “It was like a little regret voice that kept saying, get my degree.”

So Lenny decided it was time to act on the voice and the time was ripe with their daughter at eight being more independent.

Now balancing even more, Lenny says that much of their volunteer time sees a return benefit for them and their family.

“Helping out with drum groups, being involved with ceremony and culture helps me feel balance. It doesn’t feel like work,” they explained. They involve their daughter in the volunteer work where possible.

Lenny moved to Prince Albert in 2004 to be part of the Addictions Counselling program, but, after a lifetime of moving around, found a place to belong.

“I started getting connected with elders and connected with ceremony and understanding myself more as an Indigenous person and as a Metis person and it just made sense for me to stay afterwards. It felt like home,” they said.

They are also chair of the board at Prince Albert Pride and a committee member of the Heart of the Youth Community Powwow, where they helped provide guidance to change the dance categories to be non-binary and created a statement of inclusion and welcome for 2Spirit dancers.

Jennifer was nominated by the instructors in the program.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow