By Maxime Corneau
Each year, The Army Cadet League of Canada (ACLC) presents a series of awards and bursaries to deserving Army Cadets from across the country. It is rare that the same cadet is chosen to receive two of the most prestigious in the same year. This year, Cadet Chief Warrant Officer (C/CWO) Evelyn Wrobel, from Springwater, Ontario, accomplished just that.
This past spring, the ACLC, announced at their Annual General Meeting that C/CWO Wrobel, who trained and paraded with the 2919 Grey and Simcoe Foresters Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Barrie, ON, was the recipient of the Young Citizen’s Foundation (YCF) annual scholarship. The announcement was kept from her until early summer, where she was one of only two Army Cadets to represent Canada at the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps’ Junior Leadership and Academic Bowl in Washington, DC. It all came as a surprise for C/CWO Wrobel as it was announced publicly during the event; it was also done in the presence of the ACLC’s National President, Cathy Bach and Executive Director Robert Gill, National Cadet & Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group Commander Brigadier-General D.B. Cochrane, and CWO William Crawford.
The YCF, via the Vancouver Foundation offers a $5000 scholarship to a deserving Army Cadet to help cover tuition for post-secondary studies. It is currently the largest amount of funds offered as a bursary to Army Cadets. C/CWO Wrobel, will be pursuing her post-secondary studies in Fitness and Health Promotion at Fanshawe College in London, ON. C/CWO Wrobel was very careful in her choices in order to pursue the best path to her dream career. C/CWO Wrobel stated on her application, “My dream job is to be a fire fighter one day. However, through research and conversation with a variety of fire fighters, I have learned that it is very competitive to find a job and they are looking for mature candidates with life experience. This program will benefit me as it is a great stepping stone, that will allow me to grow as an individual, gain life experience and hopefully start off a career in something I am extremely passionate about.”
A few weeks later, C/CWO Wrobel was employed at Rocky Mountain Cadet Training Centre (RMCTC) as the Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). While there, she was immediately recognized for her outstanding professionalism by many senior officers at the RMCTC, located just outside of Cochrane, AB. Unbeknownst to her, another major announcement was about to be made.
During the summer months, Mrs Bach, National President of the ACLC, was visiting the various Cadet Training Centres across the country. A carefully orchestrated detour was planned for RMCTC. To maintain surprise, during a regular weekly parade, Mrs Bach had the honour and pleasure of announcing that C/CWO Everyl Wrobel is this year’s Walsh Memorial Sword recipient and is named Canada’s Outstanding Army Cadet. A formal presentation is schedule for mid-October.
The Lieutenant-General Walsh Memorial Sword – Canada’s Outstanding Army Cadet is the highest national award for an Army Cadet. The award was created by the Army Cadet League of Canada in partnership with Royal Canadian Legion, and named in honour of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Walsh, CBE, DSO, CD. General Walsh dedicated much of his time to the Army Cadet Program, serving as its Colonel Commandant and is one of the founders of the ACLC. Recipients of the award are chosen not only based on their performance as Army cadets but also for their community involvement and their academic standings.
As the recipient of this award, C/CWO Wrobel will travel to Ottawa, as a guest of the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command, representing Army Cadets from across the country at the National Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa. As a member of the Vice-Regal Party, she will also have the opportunity to meet both the Governor General and the Chief of the Defence Staff at the Silver Cross Mother Luncheon. “We salute Evelyn for her exemplary record and look forward to welcoming her as part of our national commemoration this November,” says Royal Canadian Legion Dominion President. “She serves as an amazing role model for cadets and youth across our country.”
C/CWO Wrobel is also a recipient of the Major-General Howard Medal, the Lord Strathcona Medal, the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence and the Army Cadet Service Medal. In 2018, she graduated the Canadian Armed Forces Basic Parachutist’s course and was a recipient of the Brigadier-General Romses “Top Jumper Award”. That same year, she was one of 18 Army Cadets to be selected nationally to attend the National Expedition Mount Columbia.
Her strength of character, determination, integrity and ability to inspire others are only a few of her qualities that will serve as examples for all Army Cadets, past, present and future. She strives for excellence while pushing her own limits, encouraging others to do the same. As a peer-to-peer training program, cadets like C/CWO Wrobel, and the other Walsh Sword recipients before her, are excellent examples of how the Army Cadet program can benefit youth while offering them amazing opportunities. Army Cadets are provided a toolbox of life skills that will help them pursue their dreams, forge a successful career path and make sound choices for their future.