FULL STORY: Central High Grads Celebrate Moving Forward
*Please note: due to a late addition to this week’s paper, this story has been continued onto the web from the front page of the print edition. Below it appears in its full form:
The 2018 graduating class of Central High in Sedgewick celebrated the end of one phase of their lives, and the beginning of the next, to paraphrase new Principal William Klassen, in Sedgewick at the Wild Rose Co-op Rec Centre, on Saturday, Sept. 8.
Klassen asked students, “Where do you go from here? Anywhere. That’s not a place, it’s a life, full of experiences.”
He quoted Steve Jobs’ 2005 Standford commencement speech, saying, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
The guest speaker for the graduation exercises was CHSPS 2005 grad, Tanya Piche (Gillett).
Piche started by saying that when she’d been on the grad stage years earlier, all she could think of was getting away, not realizing she would be returning to the community just a couple of years later.
She talked about overcoming challenges and reaching goals with the help of the community.
Piche told grads, “I encourage you to find a career that uses your natural gifts.”
She told the grads, “It doesn’t matter if you come from humble or abundant beginnings,” and that they didn’t have to peak in High School.
Piche, too, told the class, “Grad is one of those moments that marks the end of one era, and the beginning of another.”
Valedictorian Kendra Korth talked about change, she said one of her favourite quotes was from TV Mad Man Don Draper, “Change is neither bad nor good, it simply is.”
Korth talked about the importance of accepting change into one’s life, and not being afraid to make a change, if it’s something you really want.
She talked about how she’d turned that very advice inward, and asked herself whether her plans going forward after graduation were the ones she really wanted. It turns out they weren’t so she made some changes.
After the awards were given out, the grads accepted their diplomas from both Klassen and returning Principal Stephen Hoyland.
After leaving the stage, grads danced one dance with parents, and then mingled with guests, skipping the escort and friend dances this year.
Saturday’s awards included Highest Academic Average for Grade 10, presented to Ainslie Borth, and for Grade 11, presented to Leon Fan, presented by IDA Pharmacy, Sedgewick.
Winners of the Art Eastly Memorial award for top marks in English 30-1 were Teneille Lesmeister and Kendra Korth, who tied for the top marks. This award is sponsored by The Community Press.
Top marks for English 30-2, an award sponsored by the Merna Homecoming (1985), was awarded to Abby-Lynn Thompson.
Top marks in Social 30-1, an scholarship sponsored by the Sedgewick, Alliance, Hardisty, Killam, and Lougheed Branches of the Royal Canadian Legion, went to Emily Fee, while top marks in Social 30-2, sponsored by Main Street Medley, in Alliance, was presented to both Brenna-Lynn Cahoon and Tanya Wannechko.
The award for top marks in Math 30-1, sponsored by Wild Rose Co-op, was presented to Teneille Lesmeister.
Jaime Holsworth won an award for top marks in Math 30-2, sponsored by Parrish & Heimbecker, while Abby-Lynn Thompson received an award for top marks in Math 30-3, sponsored by Century 12 Farms.
Top marks for Chemistry 30, sponsored by Guardian Drugs, Killam, was presented to Teneille Lesmeister, she also picked up the Physics 30 award from Arnett & Burgess, and the Biology 30 award from Wild Rose Co-op.
The Science 30 award, sponsored by Tri-Way Oval Racetrack, was presented to Mikayla Kuilboer.
Hanna Lindseth received the Foods 30 award, sponsored by Subway.
The Physical Education 30 award sponsored by Safety First went to Riise Clark.
Ashton Smith took home the Industrial Arts 30 award, sponsored by Killam Home Hardware.
The winners of Top All-Around CHSPS Athletes went to Mikayla Kuilboer for Female, and Aidan Metz for the Male.
Green Certificate Award was presented to Tanya Wannechko on behalf of the Sedgewick Agriculture Society.
The Cyril and Marguerite Drever Memorial award was presented to Blake Hays.
The Citizenship award sponsored by the Order of the Eastern Star was presented to Jaime Holsworth.
The Leif Osback Memorial award for Highest Academic Average in Grade 12 was presented to Teneille Lesmeister.
The Registered Apprenticeship Program award, sponsored by Holbie’s Glass, was presented to Jenna Poirier.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association Scholarship was presented to Tanya Wannechko.
The Jen Dammann Memorial award for Early Childhood Development was presented to Emily Fee.
The Esso Athletics award, for a student involved in sports both in and out of school, was presented to Jordan Mandel.
The Esso Academics award, for a student with second overall highest average, was presented to Emily Fee.
The Esso School spirit award was shared by Jaime Holsworth and Mikayla Kuilboer.
The Interpipeline Engineering award was presented to Quinton Hudson.
The Lindseth Memorial Scholarship for Mechanics was presented to Matthew Gaume.
The Lauren Brodie Memorial Scholarship was presented to Becky Amstutz.
The Katelynn Berrecloth Citizenship award was presented to Mikayla Kuilboer.
Check out photos of the ceremony in print in this week’s Edition of The Community Press – on newsstands now!
Watch here for additional unpublished photos online in the next week. Want to order prints or buy a stick with 80+ photos? Call our office 780-385-6693 or email ads@thecommunitypress.com
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor
