A teenager from Webequie First Nation has won a national award for leadership.
Tyler Shewaybick received the award Thursday night from DAREarts, a national non-profit that uses the arts to teach leadership to young people.
The 16-year-old received the award for his work on DAREarts projects, his mentorship of younger participants and his commitment to his education, said Laura MacKinnon, the organization's assistant national program director.
"There are a lot of barriers to achieving a high school education in his home community of Webequie First Nation but he attends school every single day, and he is a model student who is looking toward post secondary education already, and that's a remarkable leadership quality," MacKinnon said.
Shewaybick said he is honoured to receive the award, adding that he is proud of his devotion to his education and plans to study to become a pilot.
"When I attend school, I use DARE values, which is discipline, action, respect, and excellence," he said.
Shewaybick was set to receive the award at DAREarts' Thursday night leadership gala in Toronto.
"I'm excited to meet other leadership award winners," he said.