Chuckwagon links leads to employment for student Jessica Melville

Jessica Melville is from a long line of champions – from her legendary grandfather Orville Strandquist to his uncle Eddie Melville, who retired last year – and the Stampede has always played a big role.

But this year, for the first time, she saw a whole new perspective

Melville is one of four female students chosen to work on the Stampede grounds as part of the Temporary Job Program summer of Alberta. The program – which the province reinstated in 2015 – allows employers to hire students during the summer months.

Upon entering the second year of her second year at the University of Calgary, Melville was hired as an badistant to the education. His job is to help develop and support three educational programs run by the Calgary Stampede Foundation.

On Tuesday, Melville took five teachers for a tour of the Stampede grounds to prepare them for the Stampede School – one of the education programs that brings teachers and students to spend a week learning the heritage and culture of the West.

Melville led teachers through barge barns and taught them the history of racing, from their creation until the rules and regulations

. "There are a lot of things you can learn from Chuckwagon racing when you were a kid," said Melville. "I think it offers a lot of different areas in math and social sciences with history – that's really the history of Alberta."

Aaron Park has included concepts such as the history of trolleys in a school curriculum. , Manager of Youth Education Programs for the Calgary Stampede Foundation.

"What better way to (incorporate the story) than to talk to people who have always been part of Alberta breeding," he said. "And Jessica has been great because she's studying education and has a great history here with her family in Stampede."

Melville later met with Labor Minister Christina Gray and took her on a tour of Chuckwagon barns, horse riders and horses.

Melville herself does not compete as a chuckwagon runner – she shows the jump with her horse, Bear. She was hoping to put herself at the mercy of her uncle's retirement, but she had a knee injury and could not do it.

Born and raised in Calgary, she said that she could not imagine living anywhere else. And despite being a Stampede pro, she said that she was learning a lot in her new job and that meeting people was one of the best parts. "It was really great to see how the two worlds can clash," she said. "Education has been a big part of my life, so being able to combine that with Stampede was so cool. "

After graduation, Melville hopes to be a primary school teacher.

" I think (Stampede) has a lot to offer, so I would love to incorporate some of this story into my clbadroom someday, "she said.