As one journey ends, another begins. That was the key message pressed home to a collection of 12 local youth this past weekend as they bid an emotional final farewell to École des Beaux-Lacs.
Over 100 locals piled into the francophone school on Saturday evening as the graduating class of 2015 officially closed the curtain on their high school careers.
Having spent almost their entire schooling tenure reaping the benefits of a francophone education, Kurtis Antoniuk, Jacob Brosseau, Megan Cloude, Bryton Coleman, Austin Ewanowich, Matteo Hajdasz, Brittny Hardy, Francis Jacques, Lyne Jodoin, Riwa Kamaleddine, Jaren Oullette and Katherine St. Gelais each walked their very own path of glory before taking their place on the stage for the glitzy celebration.
Joining the lively crowd of friends and family at the ceremony was new MLA for Bonnyville – Cold Lake Scott Cyr, who took the time to personally congratulate the graduates, while offering an insight into the next chapter of their lives.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be here with you all today as you prepare to embark on this new chapter in your life,” Cyr said. “I can tell you all from experience that life often seems like a series of endings. Some are good and some are bittersweet… As strange as it may seem, this is a good thing. With each end comes the opportunity to identify a new beginning.”
He added, “Your lives will not be defined by the ends, but rather what you choose to do with each beginning. As one chapter closes, set yourself on writing the next one. I know that each of you are ready to enthusiastically welcome each new chapter and challenge as they come.”
“As this part of your life ends, I thank you for inviting me to witness the start of your next advanture.”
Beaux-Lacs Principal Lise Gratton said she was “incredibly proud” of this group of students and congratulated them on what she described as a “momentous step” in their young lives.
“I am so incredibly proud of the accomplishments and evolution of this graduating class. They are truly outstanding students who are ready to pursue their post-secondary goals,” Gratton said. “Most of our staff had the pleasure of teaching these individuals from a young age and we have (the utmost confidence) in their abilities to succeed.”
With the ceremony winding down, joint class valedictorians Jacob Brosseau and Matteo Hajdasz spoke of the need to make the world a better place in their traditional speech to their fellow graduates.
“Often when someone is asked what they're doing after high school, they'll respond with ‘I'm going into power engineering' or ‘I'll be working in x workforce'… Very rarely do you hear of anyone speaking about how they'd like to make a difference and make the world a better place for everyone,” Brosseau said.
Hajdasz added, “Rather than working towards our own materialistic goals, we need to dream up how the quality of life of others, along with ourselves, can be improved. We believe that if every person of our age had the ambition to make the world a better place for everyone, we truly can make a difference.”
In closing, Hajdasz had one very simply message for this year's graduating class – no matter what they do or where they go, they would all be able to cherish their time at École des Beaux-Lacs.
“As put by one of the great philosophers of our time, if ever there was a tomorrow when we're not together, there's something you must always remember – you're bigger than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is even if we are apart, this, École des Beaux-Lacs, will always be with us.”
