A number of grads received awards from Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen this week.

In total, 20 students received the 'Candice Bergen Leadership Award' from high schools in Portage-Lisgar who demonstrated "leadership potential, strong character and conducted themselves with integrity."

"With such a large riding, it is next to impossible for me to attend all of the graduation ceremonies, but I do my best to attend different events every year so that I can present my annual award to the students," Bergen explains. "It’s an honour to meet these young leaders who bring value to our communities while applying ethics and principles that contribute to the development of our country in a meaningful way."

Winners included Victoria Affleck/Nicole Terwin (Carman Collegiate), Brandi Bergsma (Dufferin Christian School), Bailey Toupin (Ecole Regional Notre-Dame), Cierra Zacharias (Elm Creek School), Allyson Klassen (Garden Valley Collegiate), Christy Zhang (Mennonite Collegiate Institute), Phoebe Riddell (Miami School), Riese Penner (Morden Collegiate), Wynn Leflar (Morris School), Brooklyn Nichol (Nellie McClung Collegiate), Narmathan Sejohn (Northlands Parkway Collegiate), Abi Turcios (Portage Collegiate Institute), Hiwot Jonk (Prairie Mountain High School), Naomi McGuffin (Rosenort School), Alaura Winning (Sanford Collegiate), Cerys Evans (St. Claude School), Benjamin Edgar-Prosen (St. Paul's Collegiate), Connor Rutherford (Treherne Collegiate), Anastasia Rose Ginters (W.C Miller Collegiate), Ben Zacharias (Westpark School).

Each student was awarded $300.

Bergen with Riese Penner of Morden Collegiate Institute

Bergen with Cierra Zacharias of Elm Creek School