COLD LAKE - The Cold Lake Outreach School graduation was a day of joy, pride, and reflection as students, families, and educators gathered to honour the achievements of the graduating class.
The June 14 ceremony was marked by speeches and memorable moments, with each speaker sharing words of encouragement and wisdom.
Principal Elliot Bessey set the tone with a powerful message for the graduates. He encouraged them to fully immerse themselves in the moment.
“They say to make a good memory in your life, you have to use your five senses. So today, grads, I want you to feel, I want you to look around today, look at all the proud people, look how amazing you look, and look how amazing this hall looks for you guys today.”
Expressing gratitude, Bessey thanked the students for their trust and commitment to finishing high school.
“I just want to thank you for trusting us with your education... I want you to remember this moment.”
He concluded with a message of encouragement.
“You can accomplish anything. You guys are facts of that. And whenever you struggle, remember that when you go forward in life, 300 people just gave you a standing ovation, the first of many for the amazing places that you're going to go in life.”
Ron Young, a trustee with Northern Lights Public Schools, reminisced about his own graduation and emphasized the value of staying connected to the community.
“This is just an amazing group. It takes me back to my grad. I'm going to also put in a plug here - because I'm on the Portage Board of Governors - so I'm going to recommend to all of you that you look and see what you can take at Portage between here and Lac La Biche. Because I tell you, when I graduated 51 years ago, I couldn't wait to get out of this one-horse town. I wanted to go to the city. Today... I want to be home.”
He shared his deep appreciation for the community.
“If there was a better place in the world to live, I'd be there. This is the best. Don't be in a rush to leave."
Kelsey Jacko, Chief of Cold Lake First Nations, extended heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the community and also emphasized the limitless potential of the graduates.
“If you want to go out and get something, go do it. Nothing stops you.”
City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland echoed sentiments of pride and optimism for the graduates’ futures. He also praised the Cold Lake Outreach program.
“I really relate with the program here in Cold Lake, and we're so honoured to have it here. And it affects a lot of our youth and young adults in the surrounding area... We're all one big community here, and we're all here to work together, and I'm so happy that Northern Lights continues to champion education for alternative learning in our area.”
Assistant Principal Bruce Greengrass spoke about the graduates' perseverance.
“You've all persevered and worked incredibly hard to achieve your goals. In believing in yourselves, you have proven that today is just the beginning of everything in your future hopes.”
