Repulse Bay (Mar 22/06) - Two Repulse Bay cadets have passed the first phase of obtaining four-star certification in the national program.

Cadets Denise Malliki and Trevor James Kringayark will be attempting to pass the second phase of their National Star Certification exam later this month.

Repulse Bay cadets Denise Malliki and Trevor James Kringayark study for their National Star Certification exam. The two will attempt to pass the final stage this month. - photo courtesy of Leonie Aissaoui

The cadet program's four stars are green, red, silver and gold.

When a cadet completes the four stars, he or she must pass a Phase One and a Phase Two test.

Phase One must be passed before Phase Two can be attempted.

Once a cadet passes both tests, they are qualified to apply for overseas assignments. Instructor Leonie Aissaoui says there are no individual tests after each star.

She says all four stars must be completed before the two tests can be administered, challenging a cadet's knowledge all at once.

"We've been encouraging Denise and Trevor to take the tests for a while now," says Aissaoui.

"Both of them have been in cadets for a long time, and are showing so much leadership, they deserve the opportunity.

"Once they pass the tests, new opportunities can open up for them and who knows what new experiences they may have because of it?"

Aissaoui says it was a challenge scheduling the two cadets to write Phase One because they were also selected to travel to Iqaluit to be pages at the legislature.

Normally, they would have spent 10 days in Yellowknife preparing for the exam.

"They had the chance to be pages, so we thought it would be better if they went to Iqaluit and we arranged for them to take Phase One here in Repulse.

"Our planning never worked though, because they were weathered out in Rankin and never made it to Iqaluit."

Aissaoui says the Northern region's head office in Yellowknife agreed to send an officer to Repulse at the end of this month for Malliki and Kringayark to take Phase Two.

She says the tension is mounting as the two prepare for the second exam.

"We were excited to hear they passed Phase One.

"That was a big day for our cadet program, and it will be an even bigger day when they pass Phase Two."