Glendon School's centennial festivities kicked off early this past Saturday evening with the celebration of the school's 73rd graduating class.
Students, teachers, families, and other dignitaries packed into the school's gymnasium to honour the 22 graduating students.
“Graduating high school is a major accomplishment that signifies both the completion of your courses of studies and the beginning of a new phase of life,” said NLSD Superintendent Rick Cusson. “I'd like to commend the graduates on the completion of (their) studies. Your accomplishment is no small feat.”
The theme for this year's ceremony was a paraphrase from Lewis Carroll's Alice and Wonderland, “if you don't know where you are going, any path will get you there.”
After each graduate made a grand entrance into the gym with their special escorts, Principal Ken Pshyk took the stage to address the group.
“I wasn't so sure I liked (the theme) at first, but after some thought I can see why you chose it…there are limitless career choices with endless possibilities,” said Pshyk. “It is so difficult for you to know for sure what you are going to do, and even if you do have an idea it is not uncommon to have many career choices throughout your life.”
Many other guest speakers took the stage and addressed the quote chosen by the students, with all of them emphasizing the need for the graduates to have some direction or goal in mind when they leave Glendon School.
“At this time in your lives you need a little bit of direction,” said Gary Kissel, a Glendon trustee on the NLSD school board. “As newly graduating young adults by not having a direction, not having a goal and not knowing where you are going, you could go no where.”
MD Councillor Mike Krywiak, Glendon Deputy Mayor Nancy Pelletier, guest speaker Terry Luciow and teachers Bailey Hooper and Daryn Galatiuk all took to the podium to offer anecdotes and advice to the 22 graduating students.
After all of the speeches, a special slideshow, and the awarding of the diplomas, the 2015 co-valedictorians addressed the crowd.
Morgan Pshyk and Kohl McOuat spoke about the theme they chose for the evening, touching on how each of the 22 graduates leaving Glendon School may all have different paths in life, but how no path is wrong.
“We have reached the stop sign at a busy double-lane divided highway,” said Pshyk. “Some of us will turn right and merge quickly. Others will pause longer before finding an opening and making the more challenging left hand turn. Fewer still will risk crossing both lanes to continue on a less busy road.”
McOuat jumped in and continued on, saying, “None of the directions are wrong. Either east or west eventually you will drive into the sun. Either north or south you will have head winds. No direction is permanent.”
Unfortunately Pshyk, McOuat and their 20 peers making up the 2015 graduating class will all have to go back to school for another month before they can officially call themselves Glendon grads.
