It's a big day for graduating Saskatchewan Polytechnic students as the Moose Jaw campus is holding its convocation ceremonies are taking place at the Moose Jaw Events Centre today. 

It’s an even bigger day for Business Insurance program graduate and international student Rhea Almeda, who will be receiving the Outstanding Citizenship Award for her volunteer work in the community. 

As a wife and mother of two children, a student as well as working part-time at a fast food restaurant, Almeda and her family still find time to volunteer and help those in our community in need. 

“Despite juggling jobs, juggling multiple roles that I have, I want to tell everyone that as long as you have a great attitude, grit and determination, we will really become successful despite all of those challenges,” Almeda said. 

In February of 2023, she volunteered with the Notorious Family Day activities in Crescent Park, handing out food to guests. She then volunteered for the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Career Fair in March of 2023.  

Almeda and her daughter volunteered their services in July of 2023 at Sidewalk Days supervising the bouncy castle in the kids’ zone. 

She’s also helped out with the homeless. In December of 2023, she started volunteering at Riverside Mission setting up and distributing food to the homeless. Her family took part in the Point in Time homeless count in August of 2023. 

Almeda has also volunteered with the Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s orientation program for new students and is a VIP member of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Student Association. 

She said she hopes that winning this award and her volunteer work sets a good example for her 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. 

“It’s not just a personal accomplishment for me, but it’s also a lesson for my kids about the importance of education and perseverance to show them that with the right attitude, focus and grit, we can overcome any challenges and achieve our goals,” Almeda said. 

The road getting to Moose Jaw also wasn’t an easy one for Almeda. She is originally from the Philippines, but her family spent the past 15 years in Dubai. She and her husband had high-paying jobs in Dubai but wanted to look long-term knowing that once they retired there was no chance of getting citizenship. 

They moved to Canada in 2022. Almeda was able to get her student visa to attend Saskatchewan Polytechnic, while her husband got a work visa and her children got student visas with the long-term goal of eventually retiring in Canada. 

“We are feeling very hopeful that Canada is a good place for us,” she said. 

She said volunteering is just a way she and her family can give back to a community that welcomed them with open arms. 

“We have encountered a lot of hardship in life, adversities, and people also helped us to get through those. So, it’s a time for me also to give back to the community if not to the same people, but at least to other people who are needing my help,” she said. 

Almeda will be one of over 1,500 Saskatchewan Polytechnic students from the Moose Jaw campus that will be receiving their diplomas today. 

You can learn more about Saskatchewan Polytechnic's convocation ceremonies here.