Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre presents the award to Anna Currie, right, during a ceremony at Government House in Regina. (Photo courtesy Jeremy Cockrill)

By Kenneth Cheung

LOCAL TALENT

‘Hard work does pay off’: North Battleford student wins first-ever Sask. Junior Citizen of the Year STEM award

Jun 4, 2025 | 8:00 AM

When Anna Currie found out she was the first-ever recipient of Saskatchewan’s Junior Citizen STEM Award, she was at a loss for words.

“I am beyond thankful and grateful. I never, ever would have imagined something like this to happen to me,” she told battlefordsNOW.

“No words can emphasize my gratitude towards this.”

Currie, a Grade 12 student at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, was honoured May 29 during a ceremony at Government House in Regina. Alongside the award, she received a $3,000 bursary.

She is one of five Saskatchewan youth recognized this year as Junior Citizens of the Year — but the only recipient of the newly introduced inaugural STEM Award, which celebrates excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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At school, she’s part of the full International Baccalaureate program and has developed a number of independent investigations, all rooted in her passion for science and her dream of becoming a veterinarian.

“I have always wanted to become a veterinarian ever since I was little,” she said. “Science has always fascinated me.”

Currie lives on a farm, so for her math project, she decided to take a hands-on approach by weighing five calves over time and calculating their daily live weight gain.

“I thought what an interesting and beneficial examination to do when I have cattle right beside me,” she said. “It fascinates me to learn more about them every day, so why not put it into a mathematical approach and calculate something different?”

Her other school projects include germinating wheat seeds with varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide to measure their growth rate, and conducting chemical titrations to compare antacid tablets based on how well they neutralize stomach acid.

“I taught myself different techniques and different formulas,” she said. “I think it could be very beneficial to become a vet and to know the specific calculation that comes along with calculating the daily live weight gain of calves.”

(Photo courtesy Jeremy Cockrill)

But Currie’s path hasn’t been without obstacles.

In Grade 9, she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which temporarily paralyzed the right side of her face.

“My eye muscles were weak… I had specific eye drops I had to take. I had to tape my eyes shut at night,” she said. “It was about five months. I am now fully recovered… but my right eye has been left weakened.”

Even now, she sometimes needs to take drops when her eye gets tired. But it hasn’t stopped her from pushing forward.

“Just constantly having to work through my eyes, getting tired, and just working through, pushing through, persevering and finishing the assignment and investigation,” she said.

Currie credits her mother for nominating her for the award, and says she hopes her story inspires other young people to persevere in the face of challenges.

“If you have a challenge, don’t back away from it,” she said. “You adapt and you push through… This Junior Citizen of the Year STEM award is proof that despite challenges, you can work hard, and your hard work does pay off.”

Currie will be attending the University of Saskatchewan this fall.

The Junior Citizen of the Year Award is presented annually by the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association. This year’s other recipients are Coral Frenette of Shellbrook, Haley Ott of Regina, Kaylee Ross of Lloydminster, and Maia Smith of Moose Jaw.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com