Jenny Lau to take part in course in United Kingdom
Warrant Officer Second Class Jenny Lau of Squadron 330 Danforth Tech will be representing the Royal Canadian Air Cadets at a international program this summer.
The 17 year old will be one of 25 cadets representing Canada in the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) Course, which takes place in 12 countries this year.
Each squadron is only allowed to send one cadet application for one of the limited spots available each year. Since 330 Danforth Tech is quite small, it is rare that the IACE program selects a cadet from its squadron.
From July 19 to Aug. 6, Jenny will be going to the United Kingdom to participate in the IACE course run by the Royal Air Force Air Cadets.
“Everyone is really excited for me,” Lau said. “I’m very excited. I’ve never been to the UK.”
The IACE course is an annual student exchange program organized by the IACE association, in partnership with youth aviation programs in 23 countries. This summer, there are 19 countries participating in the program.
The Air Cadet League of Canada only selects senior cadets from among 456 squadrons across the country. Ontario has the largest population of air cadets with 8,800 cadets in 114 squadrons.
Three years ago was the last time the squadron had sent a cadet for the IACE program. Lau’s brother, Jerry, went to Turkey for his IACE course and Jenny said that looking at her brother’s experience is what first got her interested in the program.
“He told me about the Hong Kong cadets that he met through the program and he still has contact with them,” Lau said.
“This is the only program where you get to meet air cadets from around the world.”
This was Lau’s last year and she knew this would be her only chance to apply. The application process was rigorous and she said there may have been one or two other senior cadets that applied to represent their squadron.
She worked with her commanding officer, Capt. Jonathan John, going through her history with the air cadets program, her school transcripts, and her other extra curricular activities. They also practiced mock interviews regularly.
Lau said she owes a lot to her five years in the air cadets program. She gained a lot of confidence and learned the importance of leadership and time management.
“Cadets is something I’ll definitely miss,” she said. “People say cadets is Canada’s best kept secret and it really is.”
Lau graduated from the air cadets program on May 31. She also graduated from Le Collège Français high school on June 26.
She will be joining her 24 fellow senior cadets on Friday, July 18 in Ottawa before they are sent to different countries. Lau said that she is excited to be representing her squadron on an international level and looks forward to bringing her experiences back home.
The squadron of 330 Danforth Tech has been serving the East York community since 1940 and currently has 85 registered cadets.
The Royal Canadian Air Cadets program offers a variety of youth programs and courses, including aviation, flying, music, sports, leadership and citizenship.
To learn more about 330 Danforth Tech, visit it online at 330aircadets.com.
This story was originally published in the East York Mirror on July 16, 2014.
Jean Ko Din 