Nearly 250 grade 12 students were at the North Peace Arena this afternoon to mark the end of their respective high school journeys. The arena was filled with families, friends and dignitaries, who saw the students receive their diplomas and be awarded with a rough total of $250,000 in scholarships and bursaries.
Among those speaking at the graduation ceremony was Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman, who told the grads that not only is today a special one for them, but so are the days ahead.
“You’ve probably heard today is your day,” Ackerman said, as she spoke to the graduating class. “So is tomorrow. If you’ve not already heard it, the world is your oyster. Now, while that may sound pretty cool, the saga of the oyster and the pearl is more complicated than it seems. The pearl only happens when a grain of sand gets into the oyster and irritates it.”
She went on to say, “We all have moments of doubt in our life, and it’s those moments that determine our success. Take the time to understand and appreciate what you have achieved. Reflect on it. You’ve just finished grade 12. So think about the difficult times you’ve went through, and look where you are right now and how far you’ve come. Think about the obstacles and the irritants that you’ve already overcome. What did the oyster do? Well the oyster worked creatively with the sand and now it’s a precious metal.”
The ceremony was concluded with the valedictorian address by Erin Robertson, a candlelight ceremony by Esther Wenger and Dane Ruttan, and the graduation song sung by Natasha Chretien.
Congratulations to this year’s graduates.
Chase Charney
chase@moosefm.ca