The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Cedarbrae public school, barely notice the difference as Meaghan joins in all the games. She may have been born without her hands or feet, but her mastery of her prosthetics makes people forget about her missing limbs. The rest of the time the nineâ€"yearâ€"old‘s playmates and classmates, at nearby It‘s only when they‘re out riding their bikes that she sometimes gets left behind in the wheelchair she occaâ€" sionally uses. eaghan Sheppard Mhas no problems keeping up with her friends when they are runâ€" ning, jumping or playing tag. Local girl gets her taste of freedom Meaghan Sheppard shows off her new specially fitted bike and the shed the Lakeshore Optimists built for her. . 208 vesanacmoto By Bos VrBanac Chronicle Staff "It represented freedom said Barbara. There‘s not much she can‘t do when she sets her mind to it, said her mother Barbara. So when Meaghan learned she was going to receive a new custom bicycle from KidsAbility that would help her keep up with her friends, she was thrilled. She might not have fineâ€" motor skills others have with her myoelectric hands, but she has become an aspiring artist regardless by using her elbows to paint colourful canvasses in acrylic. She can also belt out a tune, counting Canadian country singer Shania Twain among her favourites when she sings karaoke. That‘s all you want for Continued on page 4 "I looked up to the leadâ€" ers at our school, who I conâ€" sidered my mentors in that "From day one at high school, I just wanted to get involved," Mack said. For the last four years, he sat on the students‘ council, spending one year as its coâ€" president. Mack was active in the WCI community during his tenure there. And he has helped out with local youth basketball programs, first as a particiâ€" pant and later as a volunâ€" teer. In addition to helping with the Canadian Cancer Society‘s Relay for Life, he has also been involved in the Waterloo youth advisory council and Canadian Blood Services, chairing clinics at WCL "It was a great chance to get involved in local politics and see how things actually work in the real world." The 19â€"yearâ€"old Waterloo native‘s volunteerism has spanned over a number of organizations, including the Waterloo Region District school board, on which he sat as one of two student trustees. The City of Waterloo awarded Mack the millenniâ€" um scholarship award â€" which comes with a $1,000 cheque â€" for the hundreds of hours he has devoted to the community. come ful." "To know you are putting on,an event that is potenâ€" tially helping people overâ€" come cancer is pretty speâ€" cial, and the feeling that comes from that is powerâ€" mater, institute vive the mome watch true tion he c city for his involvement teerism. But for Ky WCI grad rewarded for volunteerism T J tt One ments for him. was ching the cancer sur rs and sufferers doing first lap of a Relay fou . put on by his alma er, Waterloo collegiate By Jramire® OrMmsron the m m the is power ighâ€"school is recently ded by the mmunity d volunâ€" fulfilling m was t Surâ€" doing ay for alma TK "I‘ve had young people in my school say to me, ‘I want to be Kyle Mack.‘ "Kyle is, in my mind, one of the most outstanding young student leaders and young men that has come _ Mack gets â€"K to know peoâ€" _ City of Ware ple and scholar makes them feel their con tributions are important Nickel said. Through his involveâ€" ment in stuâ€" dent politics, his guidance counsellor, Craig Nickel, said â€" Mack has inadverâ€" tently menâ€" tored other students. "I think every stuâ€" dent has that opportunity." â€"_"You do have an ability as a student to influence change, and hopefully creâ€" ate a more positive experiâ€" ence for those around you," he said. He has learned many valuable lessons from stuâ€" dents‘ council, including the importance of being active in the school community. they taught me the value of student leadership, and that‘s why I stuck with it." â€" Kyle Mack City of Waterloo millennium scholarship winner "You do have an ability as a student to influence change, and hopefully create a more positive experience for those around you." From a young age, Mack‘s parents, local highâ€" school teachers Mike and Beth, have encouraged him to do more. "I‘ve never seen commuâ€" nity involvement as work in any way." _ "Over my yO highâ€"school fack career, I‘ve millennium just tried to ) winner h(’ inVOIVCd in everything I can possibly fit in my schedule. "What I‘ve learned from volleyball and basketball is teamwork. Everyone comes together. And really, 1 just Athletics are‘another area of interest for him. He was on the school‘s basketball and volleyball teams for five years, and was a captain of each this year. out of WCI in a number of years, and probably out of this area. He‘s just a fantastic person," 677 Belmont Ave. W., Kitchener (519) 5 330 Gage Avenue, Kitchener (§19) 57 1120 Victoria St. N., Kitchener (519) 57 583 King St. N., Waterioo (519) 7. www,hecrsdeconfing.u)m c o a c hes taught Mack a lot, and he said it‘s important to value _ and respect them for all the time _ they give to the teams. had a lot of fun." HEERS & DEsIGN CENTEES DECORATING "He‘s one of these people who has so much potential.â€" I‘m not even sure he‘s tapped into all of it. "And in that competitive and challenging environâ€" ment, I think he‘s going to excel." "But I think he‘s uniquely equipped to excel in that type of environment. It will be challenging for Mack to move so far from home after living in Waterâ€" loo for the past 19 years, Nickel said, of what he preâ€" dicts will be an eyeâ€"opening experience. "I think it‘s going to be a positive experience, and that‘s all 1 can really hope for." And he admits he‘s nervâ€" ous about taking this next step. He plans to pursue his education in history and economics in the fall when he begins the first year of his undergraduate degree at Harvard University. On the academic side. Nickel said Mack has an "outstanding intellect," with a graduating average of 96 per cent. As well, the atmosphere at WCI fosters a charitable environment, he said. "I‘ve always been supâ€" ported and helpet in anyâ€" thing I‘ve ever wanted to do. and that‘s a huge thing." (519) 578â€"5330 (519) 576â€"8200 (519) 576â€"7576 (519 7721127