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RVS Board candidate Aftan Forrest boasts passion for education

Aftan Forrest is one of six candidates hoping to represent Airdrie on the Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees in the upcoming Oct. 18 election. The candidate for Airdrie’s public school board said she comes from a long line of educators who have passed on their passion for pedagogy to her.

Aftan Forrest is one of six candidates hoping to represent Airdrie on the Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees in the upcoming Oct. 18 election.

The candidate for Airdrie’s public school board said she comes from a long line of educators who have passed on their passion for pedagogy to her.

According to Forrest, it began with her grandmother, who was a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse east of Airdrie. The family’s focus on education then continued on to her father Jim, who served as an educator for 40 years before going on to serve as an RVS trustee.

She added her sister is also a “very hardworking” teacher at an RVS school.

“Education has always been a passionate area of discussion in my family and I wanted the opportunity to give back to my community,” she said of her motivation to run in the upcoming election.

Forrest currently works as an oil and gas professional, but said she believes her experience in the industry would lend itself well to the role of a trustee.

“[Working in oil and gas] is a highly demanding profession that requires a concrete skillset,” she said. “I’m confident these skills, along with my dedication and determination, will carry over and benefit the board.”

She added her career has helped her foster a sense of teamwork, accountability, diligence, and attention to detail, while ensuring the proper accounting and running of her organization’s assets.

“I hope to contribute [to the RVS board] so they can continue to be a world-class school division,” Forrest said. “They’ve done great work, but there is more work to do.”

Trials and triumphs faced by RVS trustees in the prior term have included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic as well as managing the rapid growth of the division, which has impacted both enrolment and infrastructural needs.

Forrest said she appreciates that the COVID-19 situation has shifted over the last year-and-a-half and RVS has had to adjust their guidelines to keep up. 

"It's important to keep RVS students, teachers, and staff as safe as possible," she said. "That being said, I would have liked to have seen a little more transparency to be given to the parents about the numbers [of COVID-19 cases] in RVS schools. 

"COVID-19 is something that we will all have to wrestle with in the coming months so it is important to also ensure the mental health of the students and staff are made a priority." 

Forrest said she hopes to bring a fresh-faced perspective to the board, as she is younger than other candidates who have submitted their bid for election. She added she has two nieces who recently started school, one who has specialized learning needs, and she hopes to bring their perspectives to the table.

“I want to do the best for [my nieces] as well as for all of the Rocky View students,” she said. “I’m really passionate about the social and emotional issues, and development of students.”

According to Forrest, her main focus is to help young people build the skills necessary to cope in a changing world.

“For me, it’s about building strong resilient kids that can become equally strong and resilient adults,” she said. “I want to make sure that students are given the skills needed to succeed so they can become capable, compassionate citizens to lead a future that is successful for all of us.”

Forrest is running against five other candidates for three trustee positions in Ward 3, which includes the public schools in Airdrie. Other candidates include incumbents Melyssa Bowen and Todd Brand, as well as Fred Burley, Jason Spratt and Pam Thursfield.

Those interested in learning more about Forrest’s campaign, or who have questions for the candidate, are encouraged to search @aftanforrest4trustee on Facebook and Twitter, or email [email protected]

Carmen Cundy, AirdrieToday.com  

Follow me on Twitter @carmenrcundy  

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