CARNDUFF - A video was shown at the Carnduff Education Complex grad. It profiled graduating students and captured moments of their years together. One thing was very prominent – masks.
This year’s graduates spent all three of their high school years dealing with COVID. This was the COVID class graduation. Principal Ryan Nichols refused to say the ‘C’ word while addressing the students, noting that their ability to overcome ‘C’ obstacles prepared them for life challenges that lay ahead.
The evening contained the usual things. First, the students entered the gym. The young men led the way, showing off their graduation garb. The young women followed, dazzling the audience with their attire. Graduation scrolls, scholarships and bursaries were handed out to the 28 graduates who were present, while one absentee was verbally recognized.
Alisa Paul’s 98 per cent average earned her the honour to be the valedictorian. Her speech thanked the students’ parents, friends and teachers, and she left a challenge to her fellow students to use the knowledge they had gained in school to acquire further knowledge in life.
Following the ceremony, the graduates paraded through town on flatbed trailers. The ceremony had been limited to parents and invitees, so most from town were unable to attend, although they could watch the ceremony online.
The parade was the community’s opportunity to express their congratulations.
This was that day’s second parade. Earlier, the graduates had paraded past Sunset Haven to give the seniors an opportunity to pass on their congratulations and to take in the fashions of the graduates.
There were two notable absentees in the audience. Vasyl Zhenchuk’s ex-wife, Maria was back in Ukraine, as was Lesya Pinyak’s ex-husband, Vasyl. Zhenchuk and Pinyak are now married to each other and live in Carnduff. Zhenchuk’s son Ivan and Pinyak’s daughter Zoryana were both part of the graduating class. With all the negative news coming from their homeland these days, it was good to see them celebrating on this evening.
Twenty-one of the 29 graduates plan to attend school this fall, taking courses ranging from service and canine management to getting a diploma in being an outdoor adventure guide. Seven others are heading directly into the work force. One is choosing a third option. She plans to spend time travelling.
As enjoyable as it was watching the grads and their masks in the video, it was so much better seeing them without them on the stage.
