Another year has come and gone at Nakusp Secondary School (NSS), and with it goes another graduating class.
Some felt this moment couldn’t come soon enough, and for others, it kind of snuck up on them.
“Elementary school and up to Grade 8, 9, and 10, you’re not really thinking about graduation,” said Broden McLean. “All of a sudden it’s like you’re getting all of this grad stuff, and that speeds it up. We were talking about it at the beginning of the year, like ‘Oh, we have the whole year left,’ and then all of a sudden it’s here.”
Grad weekend was kicked off on June 9 at the Nakusp and District Arena, where grads hopped up onto the back of a flatbed truck for the annual parade down Broadway Street. Screams and cheers could be heard from the excited students as they made their way through the village.
Unlike last year, the rains held off just enough for the parade.
Following the traditional photo at the Japanese Gardens, grads — along with their friends and families — headed back to the arena for the grad banquet.
The theme of the banquet was Hollywood. Grad photos posted along one wall were made to look like a film reel. The arena’s auditorium was awash in red and gold and students walked the red carpet when making their way inside.
Toasts were made at the beginning of the banquet, wishing the graduates well in their future endeavors, some getting teary-eyed as they spoke.
“You are our hope, our future, and our pride,” remarked Tessa Wiseman, an English teacher at NSS.
After a delicious meal prepared by Deb Guest Catering, it was time for the awards. Renée Goodman was called up numerous times, receiving the Most Valuable Player Award for volleyball, soccer, and basketball, along with Female Athlete of the Year, and an award for Literary Studies and Composition among others. She also received the Governor General’s Medal.
There was much laughter when the traditional farewell video was shown. Starting off with then and now photos, students shared their fond memories of their time in school, what they plan on doing once they leave, and what they’re going to miss most about NSS. After this the grads danced the evening away at prom.
The following afternoon, as family and friends made their way to the arena, grads could be heard belting out Adele’s hit song ‘Hello’ in the lead up to the ceremony.
Making their way to the stage, the grads each dropped a toonie into a piggy bank shaped like a baby with a cap and diploma. This is done as a way of starting the next grad class in their fundraising efforts for the coming year.
While the bank was held by Kennedy Pazurik, it was guarded by Const. Lee Bellamy of the Nakusp RCMP.
Bellamy, in full red serge regalia, was invited to the ceremony by the graduates, who wanted to honour local RCMP for their positive relationship with the school.
As the grads walked across the stage to take their seats Peter Gajda, principal of NSS, listed their hopes and post-secondary plans. These plans varied from student to student.
Some plan on heading straight into university, while others will be taking a gap year, either travelling, working, or both. Others have yet to decide what they’re going to do.
Future careers varied as well, from becoming an ultrasound technician, an engineer, teacher, attorney, filmmaker, and more.
Because of time constraints, speeches were asked to be three minutes or less.
These speeches, made by mayor Karen Hamling, superintendent Terry Taylor, Lora Lee Brekke, Peter Gajda, and local MLA Katrine Conroy, reminded the grads not to take anything for granted, that success doesn’t come with a roll of the dice, and they should take chances and make mistakes, and should embrace any changes life throws their way.
Scholarships and bursaries this year were numerous. There were 85 in total, worth an estimated $72,300.
One student who received several this year is Rhys McLeod. He said he’s very proud of how the community helps out grads who will soon be starting out in a new environment.
“I feel very supported,” he said. “I’m so thankful to the community because what they do is so great.”
McLeod plans on taking a year off before going to a school on the coast for film and photography.
Unlike McLeod, Broden McLean will be heading straight for university. He will be attending the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) to get his Bachelor of Commerce, where he hopes to major in energy management. He would also like to play for the SAIT Trojans basketball team.
“I’m nervous and a bit scared, but also really excited to be able to get away from this small town, as much as I love it, and start my own life and create my own experiences,” he said.
Nakusp offers its sincerest best wishes to the class of 2017.
In the immortal words of D. Seuss:
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
