Nearly 130 students donned caps and gowns in our corner of southeastern Manitoba this year. Hundreds of family and friends were in attendance to help the graduates of 2023 take the big step.
École Régional Gabrielle-Roy
The 54 graduates of École Régional Gabrielle-Roy marked their graduation over two days.
Following years of tradition, the formal convocation on June 22 took place at the Cathédrale de Saint-Boniface, with over 600 people in attendance. Also as a matter of tradition, there were two valedictorians to represent the class: Hailey Claydon and Justin Anderson.
Anderson was also this year’s recipient of the coveted Governor General Academic Medal.
Claydon served as student president during her Grade 12 year. She was awarded a number of scholarships, including the Jeannot Robert scholarship and the RM of Ritchot scholarship.
“It was an honour to be recognized by my classmates and elected co-valedictorian with my friend, Justin Anderson,” Claydon told The Citizen. “It was extremely special to me and is a badge of honour that I will forever wear proudly.”
Claydon will be pursuing a degree in sciences at the University of Manitoba with the hope of ultimately becoming a doctor or scientist.
“I hope to actively engage in leadership roles and participate in committees and groups throughout my university journey,” she says. “I aspire to make a positive impact on the lives of others while also following my dreams of working in the science-oriented field.”
The COVID-19 pandemic made a lasting impact on the school life of those graduating from high school in 2023.
“Our year was cut short due to the pandemic and none of us knew what the future of our schooling had in store for us,” Claydon said at convocation. “We were all put on house arrest and sentenced to online schooling. It was extremely rare to hear each other’s voices during this time, and seeing each other’s faces was even rarer. Our teachers’ patience was truly put to the test as we all hesitated to turn on our cameras when taking presence.”
Anderson concluded the valedictorian address by offering few highlights from the preceding year.
“We pulled through, put our minds together, and accomplished a great success, which will always be engraved in our memories,” Anderson said. “We not only reached a goal in which we had set out to achieve, but we built inseparable friendships that will last forever. As we move into the next chapter of our lives, I hope that we can apply the same values that helped us succeed this year in our future endeavours.”
A banquet and dance was held at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg on June 23, capped off with a safe grad party at a rural homestead near Lorette.
Niverville High School
The size of this year’s Niverville High School (NHS) graduation matched last year’s, with 75 students making the transition. A full day of grad events took place on June 28, beginning with convocation in the high school gym. The event drew nearly a full house of attendees.
Principal Kimberley Funk opened the ceremony, reflecting on the significance of this graduating class since they were the first to start and complete their high school experience at NHS.
“Looking back to the beginning, we had no drama room, there was no band room, we shuttled band students back and forth to the middle school every day,” Funk reminisced. “We didn’t have a daycare. The CRRC, which feels like it’s always been here, wasn’t [here]. And then our [first] school year was cut short as schools closed in March 2020.”
Kylah Hiebert was honoured as this year’s valedictorian, elected by her peers. She, too, looked back on reminiscences both challenging and rewarding.
“We are the fourth year of graduates in a world flipped upside-down by COVID,” Hiebert said. “We have blazed new trails in education with the incorporation of project-based learning and the continuous addition of technology into our different classes, new and old. We’re the first class in close to a century to see Mr. Limpright finally retire. We probably won’t soon forget the late-night study sessions, the numerous projects, the friendships forged, and the challenges overcome. These experiences have moulded us into resilient individuals, ready to face the new chapter that lies ahead.”
The Ivy Friesen Memorial Award was one of many presented that afternoon.
Friesen was a long-time middle school teacher in Niverville, beloved by all her students. In 2017, her life was cut short by cancer. Many of this year’s graduates were in Friesen’s last official class before her passing. Making the event more poignant, Friesen’s grandson was among them.
Parting words shared by Mike Bouchard, an education assistant at NHS, sums up the character of this year’s graduating class.
“When it comes to working with children… I’ve seen it all, or at least I feel like I’ve seen it all,” said Bouchard. “But when I first walked into Niverville High School, I found the most amazing young people that I’ve ever met. The kindness and caring amongst [them] was second to none.”
Celebrations continued into the evening with a banquet and dance held at the Niverville Heritage Centre.
