Chelsey Binns knows a little bit about moving around.
The Royal City resident was born here, but moved to Melbourne, Australia as a youngster, returning when she was 12. As the oldest of seven children, she decided to go to high school in neighbouring Burnaby, graduating from Byrne Creek.
Now 19, she's studying at MTI Community College in the community support and youth working diploma program in the hope of becoming a social worker.
Come Aug. 12 and 13 in Merritt, though, Binns will be trying to win the title of B.C. Ambassador.
The British Columbia Ambassador program is an annual event, open to any man or woman between age 17 to 23, who has previously held an Ambassador/Royal title in the province.
Binns was a contestant in the Hyack Ambassador competition last year, winning the People's Choice and Miss Friendship honours.
During her tenure as a Hyack Ambassador, she was able to travel all across the Pacific Northwest, helping promote the Royal City.
When she found out about the B.C. Ambassador program, she decided to throw her hat into the ring and she's among 14 people vying for three winning spots.
The three winning ambassadors will represent the youth of the province, promoting the pillars of education, motivation and self-esteem.
Candidates are judged on a variety of items, with the key criteria focusing on public speaking, personal interviews, presentation skills, a talent show and even an exam on the province, including current events.
"I have to do two speeches, one about three to four minutes on a topic I'm passionate about and another about two or three minutes on where we're from.
"The topic I'm passionate about, that one's a secret, but when I talk about New Westminster, I'll talk about its rich history and the great sense of community we have here."
For the talent show, Binns plays to show off her salsa dancing.
Binns said she has had nothing but support and encouraging words from her friends and family.
"At first, you get a lot of 'you're trying to be a beauty queen', but once they find out what the competition is about, they realize there's a lot more to it," she said. "This is a program that encourages youth to step out of their comfort zones and to go above and beyond to represent their communities and their province. It builds confidence and maturity among youth.
"My goal is to be a role model to the youth of B.C., and to show that when you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything."
As part of participating in the program, Binns also has to fundraise for the scholarships and bursaries that will be distributed in August.
Presently, she's raised $900 and she hopes to get into four figures before all is said and done.
You can contribute to her fundraising by emailing [email protected]. For more info on the competition, go to www.bcambassador.com.
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