Class of 2018

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

As a couple hundred Storefront School and Learning Academy and Strathmore High School (SHS) students grasped their diplomas this past week, they weren’t doing it alone. Thousands of kilometres away in Kenya, a student named Vivian also celebrated her graduation – a feat made possible when the SHS Me to We club decided several years ago to fundraise for her to attend school for four years.
Besides acknowledging the academic accomplishments of each student and providing advice for the road ahead, a common theme throughout the speeches at the SHS graduation ceremony on May 26 was based on teamwork and building strong relationships.
“We wanted to take a minute to acknowledge that the road to get here was a tough one, the heartache that often hit way too close to home, whether it was losing someone close to you or getting a bad mark on that essay you worked for hours on, as well as that seemingly never ending teenage drama and all those freakin’ math tests,” said Cassidy Davidson in the class address. “All joking aside, high school was a truly unique experience for all of us. It was a time of firsts; first dance performance, first band concert, first football game and so much more. For many of us, this year was the first of last, and we loved every minute of it.”
The ceremony included speeches from Golden Hills School District (GHSD) Superintendent Bevan Daverne, SHS Principal Kyle Larson, Siksika Nation Chief Joe Weasel Child, as well as a class address by graduates Connor Hay, Nick Slater and Cassidy Davidson. Valedictorian Adina Tarcea also took to the podium to give her account of the high school experience.
“All of our heroes – Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Drake and Mark Zuckerberg – started just like us and they all changed the world in their own special way. But at the end of the day, (our) path for life with its tumbles, turns and twists is (our) own and no one else’s,” said Tarcea. “By a mere chance our paths overlapped here at SHS. What is to follow is up to each and every one of (us) to decide. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘life is like a bicycle; to keep your balance you have to keep moving.’”
Tarcea was one of over 200 SHS students who graduated this year. Also among the sea of cap and gowns were three of Weasel Child’s grandchildren. Wearing a special headdress – worn when he participates in ceremonies and events of honour – he reminisced about the time he spoke to the classes about running in the Siksika Nation election, provided words of wisdom, and acknowledged the teachers, staff and family members. SHS Principal Kyle Larson also recognized parents, volunteers and the educators, and the amount of attention to detail and hard work it took to achieve the academic success Strathmore students have received.
According to Larson, three students acquired 100 per cent on the diploma exams thus far. Representatives from GHSD were also aware of the school’s academic success.
“High school graduation is not easy, and in Alberta, out of four students starting in Grade 10 only three will make it on stage,” said Daverne, who added the odds at SHS are greater.
“Alberta’s high school diploma is ranked one of the highest on Earth. And there’s a reason that so many international students choose to come and study in Alberta and at this school to earn their diploma.
“It’s their ticket to many possibilities in the future. It’s a lot of hard work for everyone, and it’s definitely a group effort.”
Ten students at the Strathmore Storefront and the Learning Academy also took part in their graduation ceremony on May 25. The last day of classes at SHS is June 15.