Unleashing Potential: Margaret Fournier’s Path from Confidence to Global Impact

A Sea Cadet’s leap of faith leads to mentorship, international service and personal transformation.

Margaret Fournier, a spirited young leader from Victoria, British Columbia, is a testament to the transformative power of the Award Canada Way—purposeful, youth-centered growth through experiential learning.

Inspired by a bulletin posted at her Sea Cadet corps, Margaret’s path began with curiosity at age 13 and quickly transformed into a path of discovery and personal growth. The Award requires participants to pursue self-determined goals in four areas: community service, physical activity, skill development and an adventurous journey over several months. Mentored by an Award Leader, participants set forth on this transformative experience. As participants achieve their goals, they earn a Bronze, Silver and Gold Award,

Margaret completed both her Bronze and Silver Awards online through Award Canada’s Virtual Award Centre, dedicating effort to each activity and overcoming challenges along the way. Today, she channels her drive into purposeful projects, emerging as both a community builder and a voice for empowerment, leadership and connection at home and abroad.

Award Path

The heart of Margaret’s story is her adventurous spirit—nurtured by her cadet program and brought to life through two unforgettable Adventurous Journey expeditions.

For her Bronze Award, Margaret and her fellow cadets set out for French Beach Provincial Park along British Columbia’s rugged Pacific coast.

“We ended up getting lost… we were so into the hike that we just kept going,” she laughs, recalling how the group retraced their steps along the water’s edge and overcame significant obstacles to save their trip.

“I was definitely determined… I learned that I can be pretty resourceful when I need to be, and that I don’t give up easily when something matters to me,” she adds.

Facing adversity, Margaret developed mental fortitude, as well as valuable problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills. This newfound sense of composure and adaptability ended up proving equally vital to the success of her Silver Award.

For her next Adventurous Journey, logistical challenges deepened, with last-minute cancellations and fully booked campsites nearly derailing months of her hard work and planning.

“Even after planning so far in advance, participants kept dropping out” she recalled. In the end, her determination prevailed as she rallied close friends to participate and adapted her team, turning setbacks into stories of resilience. “The challenges pushed me beyond what I thought I could handle and showed me that leadership means adapting, not just leading.”

It was in leading others, especially younger cadets, that Margaret felt the Award’s true impact.

By volunteering at leadership camps, she found her stride. “I experienced a lot of personal growth through leading others… taking on that responsibility in a voluntary role. It was very meaningful for me.”

Organizing expeditions, solving problems and building trust with her peers became the proving ground for skills that would shape her bright future.

Impact & Transformation

Margaret’s experience with the Award was transformative and unlocked a new sense of confidence, capacity and connection. Logging her weekly progress across the four categories in the pursuit of her Bronze and Silver Awards revealed a wellspring of accomplishment and drive.

“Doing the four categories really opened my eyes to how much I can actually accomplish while still feeling confident and energized.”

More than merely completing a checklist, the experience kept her engaged and helped open doors. Her community service led to an ongoing relationship with a humanitarian warehouse in Esquimalt and a passion for providing aid to people in need. There, Margaret further honed her logistical skills and leadership abilities. The experience ignited a deep passion for serving others, inspiring a commitment that became the focus of her high school capstone project and deepened her dedication to making a meaningful difference beyond her local community.

Margaret is currently raising funds for a pivotal trip to Kenya, where she hopes to help actually distribute the supplies she’s helped organize and meet local families. Her experiences with the Award have shown her that meaningful change requires genuine human connection.

“From a volunteering perspective, especially with the Kenya project, these experiences taught me something important: if I were the one receiving aid, I’d want it to feel personal, not just strangers handing me supplies” she explains. “That’s why I want to go there and actually connect with the community. I want to learn about how they live, hear their stories and make it a meaningful human connection rather than just a transaction.”

Life Beyond the Award

With the Award as a launching pad, Margaret’s vision for her future is expansive and ambitious. She’s planning for the armed forces and to pursue dual degrees in engineering before completing her PhD in medicine with the goal of becoming a surgeon—each motivated by service, leadership and a desire to give back.

Margaret is now preparing to pursue her Gold Award through Girl Guides of Canada, where she hopes to raise awareness about the Award framework among more young women.

The Gold Award presents new challenges with its 18-month commitment and residential component of at least five consecutive days and four nights spent away from home, leading purposeful group activities. The Gold Project also required by participants to lead an impactful project focused on community or global issues.

“The Award showed me the progression from local community service to international impact… it’s taught me how local action can scale up to global change.”

This perspective drives her mentoring work with both Cadets and Girl Guides, helping others navigate the same path and develop the same confidence.

“With every step, I’ve learned the importance of perseverance and purpose—qualities that guide me as I plan my future and work to inspire others.”

Inspiration & Closing

For Margaret Fournier, completing the Bronze and Silver Awards helped turn a sense of purpose and potential into reality.

Her advice for young people considering the Award: “Just go for it. This Award has done nothing but better me.” Her experience exemplifies how Award Canada adapts to every context, from local community service to international outreach, ultimately leading to a profound realization:

“My Award experience has taught me that no matter what is thrown my way, I have the skills, resources and perseverance to overcome those obstacles and make things happen.”

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