Irina Oanica holds a replica mace during her visit to the House of Commons in Ottawa.
Irina with House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus.
Irina sits takes a seat in the “Green Chamber” (House of Commons).
Irina Oanica will never forget where she was on the day when she first became eligible to vote in federal elections. That day, along with 170 other high school students from across Canada, she was visiting the House of Commons in Ottawa.
“It was really a surreal experience to be there on my 18th birthday,” she says. “It was a privilege to be on the floor and sit in the members’ seats.”
The recent graduate from Ross Sheppard High School says, “It was an eye-opening experience. I have always been interested in government and politics and being able to experience it first- hand was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.”
While the students who were participating in Rotary’s Adventures in Citizenship were in the House of Commons, they heard presentations by Clerk of the House of Commons Eric Janse and Speaker Greg Fergus. Irina was even able to snap a selfie with the Speaker.
She found herself thinking about what it might be like to be a member of Parliament. “What if I could be a representative? I definitely could do that. It is something I have thought of before.”
The Rotary Club of Ottawa has organized and hosted Adventures in Citizenship since 1951. Among the program’s thousands of alumni are former prime minister Joe Clark, one-time NDP leader Ed Broadbent and Adrienne Clarkson, Canada’s 26th governor general.
The Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview sponsored Irina’s participation.
During their four days in the country’s capital city, the students experienced tours, lectures, discussions and social events designed to enhance their understanding and appreciation of Canadian citizenship.
On its website, the Ottawa club states that the program “provides a unique opportunity for a select group of young Canadians to come together and gain a better understanding of our country. Through meetings with political leaders, senior officials and others, they learn a great deal about the workings of our democratic institutions. Through meeting one another and having discussions among themselves, they learn to appreciate the diversity of Canada and privileges and responsibilities of citizenship.”
Participants are “leaders in their community and reflect the broad spectrum of religious and cultural communities that comprise Canadian society.”
While in high school, Irina demonstrated her leadership skills as the 2022-2023 vice-president of her school’s Interact Club and as its president the following year, while in Grade 12. She is now a first-year student at the University of Alberta in environmental studies.
Interact is a Rotary International program that assists junior and senior high school students to develop their leadership skills. Interact members participate in service projects that benefit their school and community, and in international projects.
The Centennial Interact Club at Ross Sheppard High School was established through the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview in 2005, during the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. The first Rotary club was established in Chicago in 1905.
A particularly significant component of Adventures in Citizenship for Irina was attending a citizenship ceremony.
“The citizenship ceremony was important for me to witness because most of my family are immigrants,” she says. Her father came to Canada from Romania when he was nine and her parents met when her mother, who was also born in Romania, was visiting Canada as a 22-year-old.
Irina, who speaks Romanian and was in French Immersion since kindergarten, was able to follow the ceremony in both official languages. “It was beautiful because I could understand everything the judge did.”
The program also included visits to the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum, which Irina says “felt like walking through my textbook and my teacher’s PowerPoint slides. It put a lot into perspective. There were a lot of historical items on display, but we were unable to see everything.”
Irina is looking forward to a future visit to Ottawa. “There was not enough time to see everything. I would like to go back and explore more.”
What stood out most about the experience for Irina was meeting other students who share her passion for making a difference. “I was able to meet kids who want to change the world.”
That is why learning about government and politics is important to Irina. “Government is where we can make changes. I am considering a government career in the future.”