MADISON FETHERSTON

A proud grad of ’10 and far from typical, Salt Spring’s Madi Fetherston has her future wide open. With aspirations of being an editor for either a publishing firm or for a magazine, her dreams morph into the possibility of design or being a director of photography for film.It is clear this woman is going places! Graduating from GISS this past June, I first met Madi on The Skeena Queen. Maggie Alison (a counselor at GISS) had told me a million wonderful things about her and so we had to have her as our first “GISSBOWL” student writer. After watching Madi receive 5, that’s right 5, scholarships at Grad this year I knew we had to put her on the cover. So here she is.

Madison was born in Victoria. Spending her first 6 years living in Courtenay, her family decided to move back to their home town of Salt Spring. Madi was the epitomy of an island child, spending her early years playing in creeks, riding bikes and fishing. You could say she was a tom boy, maybe a little bossy, loud, and imaginative. Generally a happy kid.

Once in high school Madi, like most, struggled a bit trying to find her path. By the end she realized she needed to shape her education. This made for a challenging journey and although it never affected her academics, it did add some struggles as she attempted to find the tools she needed. Madi was able to graduate early, only attending English 12 in the second semester. She also challenged the AP (Advanced Placement) exam, not usually offered in Canada. Students receiving high scores on this exam can count the course as a 1st year University credit. Madi studied independently in preparation for this exam, the results are not yet in.

A highlight of Grade 12 for her was front running the Gay Straight Alliance with Teighan Gajek. GISS teacher and G.S.A Sponsor Ray Colleran says: “Without Madi nothing would have happened with the group, you could say she was the driving force. I used to joke with Madi that she was putting the S back in the GSA. All of her straight friends were so involved and so supportive. It was really edifying to watch her come into her own. Madi led the group with confidence, courage and passion.”
GSA has been around for 5 or 6 years, it used to be a large collective of students but last year there was a core group of 6 girls, their main objective was to raise awareness of the groups existence. Working with the middle school during the third annual anti-bullying day, the GISS GSA taught the kids what the Pink Shirt Campaign is actually about. It’s about giving children a voice, teaching kids to speak up for themselves and embrace who they are as individuals. Madi and the GSA group talked to the kids about anti-homophobia definitions, shared information on homophobia and accepting each other for who they are. Madi was surprised at how great the middle school students were and how curious and open they became.
Madi and the GSA did heaps of fundraising and paid for a program called “Out in Schools” to come and do a video presentation for the grade 9‘s and 10‘s about anti-homophobia and other LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) related things.
Madi came “out” last summer. She and her girlfriend Clorisa celebrate their 1 year anniversary this month. She explains how great her family and the community of Salt Spring have been: “It’s such a safe place”, she tells me, “I think the most difficult thing for any parent is letting go of the idea that their child will have the “perfect” life,  the “perfect” job, 3 kids and the “perfect” husband. It’s the unknown that scares them.”
Madi attended Salt Spring’s Pride celebration last September. She and Clorisa participated in the parade with PFLAG (Parents and friends of Lesbians and Gays). PFLAG supports, educates and provides resources to parents, families, friends and colleagues, with questions about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Like most GISS grads Madi is excited to get out into the world. And we are excited for her. She is a role model for all youth. She plans to start her journey in Victoria, “It seems like a good stepping stone into the big city.” Madi is moving to Vic at the end of this month. She is attending Comosun College for an Associates degree in creative writing, a 2 year program. Upon completion she is considering attending UBC for a Bachelor’s in English but we will all have to wait and see. This girl is definitely going to leave her mark on the world.

This Saltspring post has had 653 views