30 graduate from RRHS

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Thirty students began their adult lives last Tuesday when Rainy River High School held its 2008 graduation ceremony.
After the procession to pomp and circumstance and O Canada, Principal Casey Slack offered opening remarks. He encouraged them all to pursue their dreams and to enjoy exploring new horizons. Comparing life to a great work of art he said, “What life becomes depends on what you paint. You are the master of your own (canvass) destiny.”
Slack also pointed to the importance of this year’s class to the world. “Things like racism, global warming and terrorism make me believe that the youth of today will be integral in finding solutions. Be a positive character and you will exact positive change.”
Local school board rep. Ron McAlister and school council reps. Peggy Advent and Amos Brielmann, and Mayor Deb Ewald all then respectively offered congratulatory remarks to the graduates.
Just before all the proficiency and scholarship awards were handed out, Co-op program coordinator Guy Arpin told the audience about a very prestigious award one of their coop placement hosts received. He noted that each year the province hands out five employer champion awards across the province and five employer merit awards. This year RRHS coop nominated one local employer who has been with the program from its inception 21 years ago. Arpin said the school and the program is pleased that one of the five provincial merit awards went to Dale Morrison of Border Service in Rainy River.
RRHS was also proud to announce that three members of the graduating class received prestigious Millennium Scholarships. A national $16,000 over four years was awarded to Timo Brielman. Two $4,000 over one year provincial scholarship were awarded to Josh Wilson and Kaylie Lundgren. Wilson also received The Miller Thomson Foundation’s National Scholarship of $1,000. Only 200 students in the country received it.
Class valedictorian Josh Wilson offered grads advice he himself received from his grandpa and father. “They told me to always paddle upstream.” This stemmed from a story about going fishing but downstream and having the boat motor quit. If one fishes upstream they can still drift home. “Always have a back up plan.”