ST. PAUL - With a chosen theme of "Las Vegas," the 2022 St. Paul Regional High School graduating class got down to business during their official ceremony on June 25 - and came ready and eager to celebrate.
One of the first tasks was handing off the Key of Success. Graduate Colin Pasitney passed on the honours of the award and job of emcee to Grade 11 student Anya Martin. Involved in a number of activities and sports in the community, Martin is set to embark on a full scholarship to the Netherlands in the next school year.
Martin spoke briefly as she accepted the award, but swiftly took on the role of emcee for the afternoon.
With over 100 graduates on stage, a special acknowledgement was made to the St. Arnault family, whose son Justin passed away during the school year. Justin was part of the 2022 graduating class at Regional High School.
Offering congratulations on behalf of St. Paul Education was trustee Sylvie Smyl. She noted that graduates had been through a lot during their high school years, but they should remember that there is a "team" behind them, offering support.
She thanked teachers and staff for their hard work, supporting students along the way, and she reminded the graduates that they have all they need to succeed.
Valerie Cardinal with Saddle Lake Education also spoke to the graduates. She told graduates to remember that they now have the opportunity to pursue their education even further - a step in living a good life. They can contribute to their communities, and truly do anything, anywhere in the world.
Watching the graduates enter the school gymnasium, Cardinal said she felt a connection with each of them, and asked them to simply "make the world a better place."
A number of students then took to the podium to offer cultural aspirations in a number of languages. Then, graduate Sarah Thomson offered a thank-you to the parents, and Chris Griffith spoke on behalf of the parents.
Valedictorian Daniel Kam then took to the podium.
He noted that he was proof that what you get out of high school is a reflection of what you put in. During his speech, he noted that a couple of years ago, he had never received an academic award - but, he set himself a goal to be valedictorian.
"There is no shame in working hard," said Kam.
Despite the challenges of going through high school in a pandemic, missing out on social gatherings, sports, and other things, there was opportunity for unique connections to be made - even through online classes, said Kam.
At times though, the most exciting part of the day was texting each other, trying to figure out who brought COVID to school and caused the rest of their class to isolate, said Kam, with a laugh.
On a more serious note, he reminded his fellow graduates that high school prerequisites don't define their future successes.
Principal Mark Tichkowsky, and assistant principals Angela Noel and Corey deMoissac presented graduates with their portfolios, as Martin read out favourite memories and future plans of the graduates.
Then, graduate Krayghan Gratton offered a special thank-you to the school staff, also acknowledging staff from kindergarten to Grade 9. In response, teacher Geoff Bishop relayed a few of his own thoughts, noting the staff and graduating class of 2022 had been through a lot together.
Speaking to when students were sent home for at-home learning during the pandemic, Bishop noted that it became clear St. Paul Regional is just a building, and it's the students that make it a school.
"Without you, it's not a lot of fun," he said.
Tichkowsky wrapped up the speeches and ceremony with a few closing remarks. Just like the graduates' chosen theme of "Las Vegas," the future will involve risks, and unpredictability. But, Tichkowsky said he was hopeful each of the graduates would "beat the odds" and become successful, contributing members of society.
"You have an opportunity to make a difference in society," said Tichkowsky, adding, doing small things can make a huge difference.
