by PO2 Dilan Yildirim, RCSCC DEFIANT
For Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) Hailey Panciuk, RCSCC Defiant is like a second family. The cadet program allows her to get out of the house, try new things, and make friends. Like Petty Officer Second Class Wade Claxton, who we met last week, PO2 Panciuk is 15 years old and attended Navy League for a year before moving up to sea cadets.
Hailey participates in many team activities and summer camps. During her time as a Sea Cadet, she has attended two camps: General Training and Drill & Ceremonial. Hailey finds joy in the simple moments, like the time she and her group were caught in the rain while learning to make their way out of a flipped boat at General Training camp. Some cadets ran back inside, while others stayed outside and played in the rain.
PO2 Hailey Panciuk has been a part of the corps’ marksmanship, orienteering, and biathlon teams, and has had the chance to participate in competitions with each of those teams. One memory etched in her mind was having a great time with her teammates at the Connaught Range and Training Centre the night before the biathlon provincials. Hailey advises people to come well prepared for the cold weather when participating in outdoor activities like orienteering, “or your lips might turn blue”, as she learned firsthand.
Hailey has a younger sister who has successfully come through the Navy League Cadet training program in NLCC Assiniboine and has just this year moved up to Sea Cadets.
Hailey displays one of the very important qualities encouraged by the Cadet Program, and that is the will and the initiative to give back – to contribute over and above the normal requirements of the Program. In Hailey’s case, she contributes her time, knowledge, and experience by being actively involved in helping mentor and guide our younger cadets in the Navy League Cadet Corps as a volunteer supervisor. She has acted as a Staff Cadet for their competition with other corps, supervising the NLCC Assiniboine cadet team, and being in charge of the point system for the heaving line competition.
PO2 Hailey Panciuk aspires to a career in the military, as well as starting a family. She has two pieces of advice for new cadets: try things to figure out what you like to do best, and, if its not for you, that’s OK, at least you tried; and, keep an open mind so you can make new friends.
