Surrey Schools fashion students recognized at city hall
Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, October 20, 2026
A group of current and former Surrey students have each received a certificate of recognition from former Mayor Brenda Locke which led to being invited to city hall for an in person meet and greet.
According to a story on the Surrey Schools website, students a part of the Wraparound (WRAP) program were recognized for the work they did in creating their own designer apparel as part of the specialized program last school year.
During the 2025-26 school year the WRAP program and Solid State Community Industries partnered together to create a fashion cohort for the students.
The cohort was focused on sustainable, local production of limited-edition apparel. Along the way, students built their own brands and designs and learned about the industry and themselves.
Surrey Schools said the students’ connection with the former mayor started with a surprise when they received the certificate shortly after the program wrapped up last year.
“We didn’t do any of that. That just came unprompted,” said Michael Sosnowsky, WRAP family coordinator with the district’s Safe Schools department.
Surrey Schools shared Sosnowsky had the certificates framed and he then gathered the students for a group photo to send to Locke as a thank-you.
“We thought, okay, that’ll be it,” he told Surrey Schools.
Sosnowsky then shared that a few weeks later the invitation for the in person meeting with the then-mayor at city hall arrived.
“She was just really excited to meet these guys,” Sosnowsky recalled. “I can’t really describe how impactful it was for the youth. They were so excited.”
According to Sosnowsky, when the meeting day finally arrived, Locke sat with the students for 45 minutes and they came ready to speak.
Sosnowsky shared that the students raised how hard it is for young people to find work and how few opportunities there are to gain hands-on experience in a field they’re passionate about, as they had with fashion.
“Each of them had something to say,” said Sosnowsky. “Everybody was attentive and well spoken. It was ear-to-ear smiling the entire time.”
Surrey Schools shared that at the end of the meeting, Locke told the students they could list their certificates on their resumes as a character reference and that the city hall would back that up. She also told them she was interested in inviting them back to share their perspective as part of a youth council.
For Sosnowsky, that invitation matters as much as the recognition, he explained to Surrey Schools.
Two of the young men who were a part of this cohort have already graduated and Sosnowsky sees this opportunity as a chance for them to picture themselves as community leaders.
“They might get to have an input into where the next park or playground goes, or what youth groups could really reach young people,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I did this, and it wasn’t for nothing.’ Their voices are meaningful.”
Sosnowsky added that for many of the students, a moment like this can shape what comes next.
“They are the future of Surrey,” he said. “Any kind of leg up is super meaningful.”
As for what’s next, Surrey Schools says that Sosnowsky and the program’s two facilitators, Pam Gutierrez and Jshandeep Jassal, hope to launch a new cohort for girls next spring.
The students are said to follow the same model, pairing hands-on skills such as nail art, lash applications and perfume blending with lessons on sustainability and how to safely set up a small business.
Similar to the first cohort, Surrey Schools explains that it will end with an exhibition for families and school staff.
“When you believe in someone, support them, and give them the space to grow, they can go the distance,” said Gutierrez.
Jassal said the cohort shows “what can happen when young people who are typically stereotyped or underestimated are given a chance to find an alternate path and claim their power.”
Learn more about Surrey Schools WRAP program at surreyschools.ca/safeschools/wraparound.