Jo Ann Pirena has done it again by winning the 2014 Remembrance Day Poster Contest held recently.
And winning the Remembrance Day Poster Contest since 2012 is considered a crowning achievement of this 9th grade student at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate. She even won the essay and poem contests, as part of this yearly celebrations sponsored by the Belgian Veterans Branch 107, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Asked why she is too much involved in the celebration of Remembrance Day, she writes in her essay: “Remembrance Day is a very important day to me because I am very appreciative of those veterans who have risked their lives to fight for our freedom. As one of a number of students, I believe everyone should take some time to realize the amount of bravery, courage and determination these heroes have demonstrated. Imagine seeing what war actually looked like. If I were a veteran, I would be really proud of myself.”
” I always wondered how we got to where we are today. It was because of the courageous men and women with their meaningful acts. They meant a lot to me because today we are living in a successful, democratic and free country. I would like to say THANKS for those who made this happen. Without them, where would be today?”
As her mother Normita said: ” Her artistic and literary talent have come out naturally. I remember when my two daughters were younger, living in an apartment, most of the time for them to be quiet, I encouraged them to write, read and draw. The atmosphere in our home is very conducive to develop their talents.”
Jo Ann Pirena had a list of winning poster contests: for Remembrance Day: 2012- 1st Prize, Provincial to National; 2013-1st Prize- District; and this year, 2014, she won 1st Prize, District. In 2012, while a student of Marion School, she had won also the essay contest. And while in Grades 6 and 8 Jo Ann Pirena won the Fire Safety Contest, First Prizes for the two consecutive years. Added to her winning streak in visual art, she won 1st Prize in the Christmas Card National Contest sponsored by Gamma-Dynacare, a Canadian medical laboratories.
Now in her 9th grade at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, Jo Ann Pirena is looking forward for more challenges in the pursuit of her visual and literary talents. When asked about her plans after grade 12, she says: “I do not know yet. I have to study harder and continue to join various arts and literary contests, especially for Remembrance Day.”
In one of her winning essays, Jo Ann Pirena, a younger daughter of Normita Pirena, a lab tech employee, writes: “This Remembrance Day, take that moment of silence to yourself and take into consideration of all soldiers and imagine their experiences throughout the wars and how much it affects all of us today. Whenever and wherever you are, never forget to remember even if it’s not a Remembrance Day.”
