Proud parents Tom and Tenniel Greentree sat and smiled as they saw their teenage son, Ethan, called to stage on Friday night to be named Creston Valley’s 2018 Junior Citizen of the Year.
In making the presentation, Creston Rotary Club president Mike Fitzpatrick said that Ethan met all five of the selection committee’s criteria, but was, most of all, a “good kid who does more than is expected from someone his age.”
A good student who plans a career in the health field, Ethan Greentree’s list of accomplishments is impressive. He is a leader in a youth group that has grown from 12 members last fall to its current number of more than 40. A participant in the Encounters with Canada leadership program, he travelled to Ottawa to experience a variety of medical vocations. He has been a volunteer with the Christmas Hamper Program since the age of 10.
Ethan’s list of activities includes playing the piano, starting a photography club and being a sound and media volunteer at Erickson Covenant Church. This week he will be among the organizers of a fundraiser and awareness building event at Centennial Park, which will put a focus on the need around the world to provide access to clean water. Ethan also has a brown belt in karate and continues to work toward his black belt.
An excellent swimmer, Ethan has his Bronze Medallion in lifeguard training, has learned many lifesaving techniques along the way. Homeschooled through the Christian Heritage School, much of his focus has been on leadership skills, and he thrived at a survival course on Vancouver Island.
“Ethan has overcome peer pressure by showing his peers that in order to feel connected to a community, you must contribute to that community,” Fitzpatrick said. “That can be done with one person at a time. He stands up for his principals and values.
“Ethan has a generosity of spirit, or that depth of character that shows strength, deep love, virtue to help others, and an inner light that makes you want to be around him. You want him to be your mentor, you want Ethan to be your friend.”
