Pillars of SHS honours three former students

By Christine Foshaug Times Contributor

For the past five years, Strathmore High School (SHS) has been starting the school year by adding plaques to the pillars inside the school. This year is no exception.
On Sept. 19, three former SHS students will be inducted into the Pillars of SHS Alumni Legacy Project, bringing the total number to 15.
Heather Hanson, James Kettles and Markus Lehmann are this year’s recipients. All three will be at the inductee ceremony and will be honoured for their accomplishments in their chosen paths.
Heather Hanson completed her education with a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of British Columbia and now works as a gerontological health researcher, making improvements to healthcare services and practices for older Albertans. In addition to conducting and supporting applied and clinical health research projects in the health system, Hanson is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Calgary, where she supports students in obtaining their own goals in higher education.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Kettles is a pilot with the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2018, Kettles was appointed as the Commanding Officer of 410 Tactical Fighter (operational training) Squadron in Cold Lake, Alta., the largest CF18 squadron in Canada responsible for training fighter pilots for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Markus Lehmann, a philanthropist who has completed three different master’s degrees, has travelled to the Amazon and built a tall ship (the Tocorimé) that he’s used as a teaching tool for many years. He’s collaborated with NASA, the American Museum of Natural History, the British Council, the National Museum of Zoology (in Sao Paulo), the Darwin Foundation and scientists from around the world to create the Tocorimé Darwin Adventure, an educational outreach program.
This year’s inductees will join Amanda Howard, Annae Jensen, Ben Josephson, Blair Barlow, Dale Mercer, Dallas Seitz, Jackie Thurston, Kenny Kaechle, Mark Daye, Nadine Bussman, Norman Taylor and Steve Rodehutskors as Pillars of SHS.
The family of Rodehutskors started the Alumni Legacy Project after he passed away in 2011. Rodehutskors, who graduated from SHS in 1981, went on to play football with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before starting a career as a veterinarian in Strathmore. He demonstrated how hard work and determination can lead to personal and professional success.
Seeing the pillars every day reinforces the qualities of the inductees and has a positive effect on students, inspiring and motivating them to be the best they can be. “We like to believe that all of the recipients are models of what commitment and passion can lead to,” said SHS principal Kyle Larson. “The recipients are very much examples of the opportunities that are available to all students and that anything is possible.”
Recipients are chosen by nomination first and then the committee selects two or three inductees each year based on accomplishments and impact in the respective recipient’s chosen field, and the contributions they have made in their discipline and within their communities.
This year’s ceremony, on Sept. 19, will be held at SHS at 4 p.m. Members of the public are invited to join in the celebration.