SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Two Thomas Simpson School students returned with medals from the 15th annual Territorial Skills Competition.
Kiyana Betsaka, a student at Thomas Simpson School in Fort Simpson, displays the newspaper ad and poster she designed that helped her win the gold medal in the graphic design category at the annual Territorial Skills Competition in Yellowknife. - photo courtesy of Nathalie Lavoie
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Kiyana Betsaka and Ethan Moreau-Betsaka both competed in graphic design at the secondary school level at the competition in Yellowknife on April 16. Neither student had been to the competition organized by Skills Canada NWT before.
"It's a great achievement," said Nathalie Lavoie, a teacher at Thomas Simpson School who helped the students prepare for the competition.
To get ready, Betsaka and Moreau-Betsaka, who are cousins, did intensive practice sessions after school and on the weekend where they completed projects similar to ones they might encounter in Yellowknife. The tasks given at the competition are never quite the same, said Lavoie.
"We have to be ready for anything," she said.
In Yellowknife the two students, along with one other competitor, were give a maximum of five hours to design a poster and a newspaper ad for a company and retouch a photo.
"It was kind of a challenge," said Betsaka, who's from Nahanni Butte.
While she'd made posters in the practice sessions, Betsaka had never designed a newspaper ad before. Betsaka said she was nervous during the competition, especially because people kept coming by to watch the competitors at work.
"I think I could have done better, but I was nervous so I don't think I had the creative mindset I would have had if I was calmer," she said.
Moreau-Betsaka said he also found the competition a bit challenging. The poster was the easiest component because it didn't have to be changed into grey scale like the ad did, he said.
The opportunity to learn more about the computer programs used in graphic design is what drew Moreau-Betsaka, 16, to the competition. The competitors had to use the software programs Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.
"It was exciting," he said about the event.
The two students found out how they'd done during the awards ceremony that evening. Moreau-Betsaka received a silver medal and after his name was called, Betsaka said she realized she'd won gold in the category.
"I really wasn't expecting it. I was like, 'Oh my God,'" she said.
Going to the competition is a great experience for students even if they don't place, said Lavoie. Many of the people involved in the event praised Moreau-Betsaka and Betsaka and made them realize how talented they are, she said.
"We were swarmed at the ceremony," said Lavoie.
Both students are already making future plans involving graphic design. Because she placed first in the category, Betsaka has the opportunity to participate in the national-level competition in Vancouver in June.
Lavoie will be helping Betsaka practise doing projects that require a higher level of skill in order to get ready. To prepare for next year's territorial competition Moreau-Betsaka also plans to participate in the practice sessions.
Moreau-Betsaka said he wants to work on the technical aspects of graphic design before competing again. His goal is to get the gold medal next year.
Moreau-Betsaka would also like to see more students from Thomas Simpson School participate in the competition. It's a worthwhile experience, he said.
