Honouring Alumni
Amy Gregson – Times Reporter
Those students who have walked the halls of Strathmore High School and have grown up to accomplish great things will be honoured on the pillars in the school’s front hallway.
The Pillars of Strathmore program will take into account all aspects of a students education, and what the students go on to accomplish.
“We want to start something that is going to recognize people, doctors, lawyers, MLA’s, you name it, who become the model we hope our students aspire to become,” said Associate Principal, Kyle Larson. “It’s an exciting project for us.”
The first Pillar of Strathmore is Stephen Rodehutskors, who attended the high school when it was known as Samuel Crowther School.
He excelled in sports while attending the school, particularly basketball, and graduated in 1981.
He went on play basketball at the University of Lethbridge and then to play football for the first time at the University of Calgary where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science.
Rodehutskors was then drafted to the CFL as a member of the Winnipeg Bluebombers for five seasons, where he won two Grey Cups in 1988 and 1990.
He went on to play for the B.C. Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
He then attended the University of Saskatchewan from 1994 to 1998 and earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
Rodehutskors set up a successful veterinary clinic that served Strathmore and area.
Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer and lost his battle with the disease in 2007.
“Steve was a model citizen,” said Larson.
Before Rodehutskors passed away, a fund was set up for him to offset some of the medical cost for his treatment. Some of the funds weren’t accessed when he passed and the family came to Strathmore High School to start something in the school with the remaining funds.
The family left it open for the school to choose what to do with the money, and they chose to do the Pillars of Strathmore.
“Tournaments come and go and even scholarship, people lose touch with,” said Larson. They feel this tribute to alumni will go on forever.
Even though Rodehutskors graduated from Samuel Crowther, the school has decided to honour those who graduated when the school became Strathmore High School in 1986.
They are going to try to contact three or four people from each graduate class to begin with.
Larson said previous students tend to know their graduating class, where they’ve gone and what they have done.
“It takes time. You’re not [usually] going to have a kid who graduates and two years after they graduate are up there,” said Larson. “It’s going to be years out.”
They are also looking at starting an alumni association.
“Hopefully it will attach some alumni back to the school as well,” said Larson.
The school is looking to take nominations from the community and will then see if these nominees meet the criteria the school has set out to be honoured as a Pillar of Strathmore.
“In a school you tend to always recognize the kids who are in your school and this will give some sense of history and what people can become as result of their time spent here,” said Larson.
amy@strathmoretimes.com