BONNYVILLE - Bonnyville Outreach School held its graduation ceremony at the Bonnyville Fellowship Alliance church on June 13. The small ceremony held some big feelings as staff, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the grads momentous accomplishment.
Graduate Michael Gamblin expressed his joy and gratitude during his momentous day. “It went really good and I’m feeling really good. I feel like the smaller grads are better because everyone gets a lot of recognition. It was really happy, and I appreciate all the teachers there. They’re so helpful – every single one of them.”
Assistant Principal Bruce Greengrass kicked off the speeches explaining to the grads the benefits of a liberal education.
“The purpose of your education was to lay a broad foundation of knowledge to give you the skill to be able to learn, to think critically, to support your opinions...to be an informed citizen and contributing member of society. To give you the ability and confidence to go and learn all the new things you need to learn on a daily basis in an ever-changing world. A world where you will need to be able to learn and unlearn and learn something new on a continuous basis in order to realize your dreams.”
From haikus, dissections, and renaissance painters, Greengrass encouraged grads to use their classroom experiences to find their passion.
“Use this moment to identify your passion. Now is the moment to chart the path that will make your dreams come true. Not some day, not in the future, but now. Don’t wait until the last minute, like you did with that novel study you handed in.”
Principal Elliott Bessey asked students to savour and remember the feeling of accomplishment “Follow your goals, follow your dreams, and follow your hopes. If you ever feel lost, take a moment right now...30 seconds , and take a deep breath. This is what it feel like to accomplish something. You need to repeat this in your life as many times as you can.”
Bessey continues “I had a great conversation with a student yesterday who said, you shouldn't focus on finding a job that makes money, you should focus on finding how to add value to the world...”
Cheryl Edwards, board trustee for Ward 1 with Northern Lights Public Schools admired the students tenacity.
“The lesson learned extends far beyond text books and classrooms and will serve you well on the road ahead. Carry with you the confidence that you can overcome any challenge, and share what you have learned with others along the way so that they to may see success in their future.”
Edwards continues “Regardless of your goals for tomorrow, be kind and compassionate. Conducting yourself with integrity and applying dedicated effort will always lead you to success. Our hope for you is that you live your best and most fulfilling life.”
