This coming Valentine’s Day, most people will be thinking of chocolates and flowers. For Josh Favel, however, Valentine’s Day will represent something much bigger. On Feb. 14, he will be turning 18.
“I’m excited to vote,” says Josh. Exercising his democratic right will be a big highlight of turning 18 for this Student Council President. That’s not all Josh has going for him, though.
“When you combine the fact that he’s strong academically, president of Student Council, so involved in the upbringing of his siblings, and a top notch soccer player, it’s amazing how much he excels. But here’s the thing, you’ll never hear him complain,” said his teacher adviser, Joe Bagocki.
"The last year or so has been tough for me, but you just keep moving forward."
Feb. 14 will also be a turning point for Josh: a fresh start. “The last year or so has been tough for me, but you just keep moving forward,” he says.
As a Grade 12 student and a soon-t0-be adult, the future is a great concern for Josh. Says Bagocki, “His greatest challenge left might be deciding what he wants to do with his life, because he’s so well suited to everything. You know, he’s got what you call the ‘whole package:’ personality, work ethic, academic excellence, Christian values. And because of this, he’s where everyone wants to be: able to do anything.” However, Bagocki is confident that Josh has what it takes to succeed in life: “He’s got faith, and that will get you through anything. He’s also a good role model when it comes to the Golden Rule: treating others how you want to be treated. He’s reliable. He’s loyal.”
Josh also has a supportive close-knit family to turn to. He comes from a family of five children, of whom he is the second oldest. His younger sister Micah, age nine, looks up to her brother for his many talents, and says, “He’s a brother that makes you laugh. He really does care about me.”
“Josh is very protective of his yo unger siblings, and he’s always been the one that they look up to, that they always try and model themselves after,” says his older sister, Sarah. “A lot of the time he’s taken the place of one of the parents. He has grown up learning how to raise his younger brothers and sisters.”
The coming year will bring many choices and experiences for Josh. Josh, proud of his Native American Heritage, is planning a trip for Native Youth to Madrid, Spain, for World Youth Day 2011. Josh is working with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary to plan the trip, which will take place in the summer. “I’m really looking forward to it – the experience will definitely give me time to reflect on my choices about the future,” he says. In the fall, Josh plans to move into residence, although he’s not certain which university he will be attending.
Though the future holds many possibilities, it seems inevitable that Josh will be a community leader. “One of his greatest assets is his leadership skills,” says Sarah. “He has the ability to listen, and not just wait until it’s his turn to speak.”
"I remember him sitting in my office and telling me, 'There's so much about life that I don't know, and I want to experience it.'"
Josh also has a “calming influence,” and as Mr. Bagocki says, “it can be a real asset in a heated soccer game to have Josh calm his peers. He’s a very special young man with unlimited potential, the type of person the world needs more of. It gives the older generation hope.”
“Josh has the ability to just inspire me and people around him to be better and strive for the best,” says Sarah. “He is an exceptional student, and an exceptional athlete, and he’s an incredibly kind, caring, considerate person.” Regardless of the challenges he has left to face, and the lessons he has left to learn, Josh is still an inspiration to those who know him in his commitment to what is right, and in his enthusiasm for the future.
Says Bagocki, “Josh doesn’t like being tied down, and he realizes that there’s so much to explore. I remember him sitting in my office and telling me, ‘There’s so much about life that I don’t know, and I want to experience it.'”
