More than 200 thrilled students crossed the floor Saturday morning to receive handshakes and certificates from School District 27 staff for their accomplishment in graduating from high school.
Punctuated with rounds of applause by proud family and friends on hand to mark the occasion, the ceremonies were both touching and humorous, with speakers like city Coun. Jason Ryll making the audience laugh.
“The truth is, you’ve made it through the easiest part of your life,” Ryll said. “Being an adult is hard.”
Kidding aside, Ryll encouraged grads to be tolerant and accepting of others and to aspire to make a difference in the world.
Lake City Secondary School vice principal Ken Lucks said the 2016 graduating class was unique in that there were four sets of twins and one set of triplets graduating.
Students of First Nations, Inuit and Metis descent, noticeable with special yokes over their robes, were also applauded for being positive role models for other youth, and for bringing the average of graduating Indigenous students up significantly across the district.
Also defining for this year’s class, was the earlier loss of beloved teacher Laura Kaufman Storoschuk. The graduates were all wearing pins in honour of Laura, whose husband, Robin Storoschuk, presented the first ever memorial scholarship in her honour to their graduating daughter, Chloe, and Jasmine Tio.
Heavy rain greeted grads making their way to Dry Grad celebrations Saturday night during the parade, but no one seemed to mind.
See pages A6, A13, A16 and A17 for more coverage, also visit the Tribune/Advisor’s website and Facebook Page for more photos.