Vincent Massey graduates cherish special recognition

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This article was published 26/06/2018 (2839 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Carsen Whitecloud-Holland stood up from his seat and walked past his fellow classmates, his heart beating faster with every step.

Dressed in his purple gown and mortarboard, Whitecloud-Holland moved to the front of the crowd and stood or all to see as a large blanket was draped over his shoulders.

“Character” and “integrity,” a woman said from the podium. That was how she described the 17-year-old, who was presented with a star blanket on behalf of the Interprovincial Association on Native Employment.

“I did not expect it all, I was surprised,” Whitecloud-Holland said.

As nerve-wracking of a moment as it was, he was grateful for the recognition.

“It’s an honour just to get the blanket, because it makes you feel welcome to the community,” he said.

Whitecloud-Holland was one of more than 200 students from Vincent Massey who received their high school diplomas on Monday in Westoba Place at the Keystone Centre.

Dozens of awards, scholarships and medals were handed out as hundreds of family members and friends sat in the stands cheering on their loved ones.

Representing the Brandon School Division, assistant Supt. Mathew Gustafson congratulated the graduates on their achievements.

“Today marks the first day of the rest of your life,” he said.

For some, that first day will mean school in the fall. Whitecloud-Holland, an honour student who made a name for himself playing football and track, said he plans on going to the University of Manitoba to pursue a degree in science, possibly majoring in computer science.

Ethan Zhang will attend the University of Waterloo to study general mathematics.

Zhang graduated at the top of his class, earning the Governor General’s Medal for having the highest average, and served as the student council president for his class.

“It was really exciting, honestly,” he said about receiving the medal.

In May, Zhang scored in the top five per cent of all students in the world at the University of Waterloo Chemistry Competition and was first in Manitoba on the Canadian Association of Physicists High School Prize Examination.

Described as a national leader, the 17-year-old received a number of other awards at his graduation ceremony, including the Chemtrade Electrochem Inc. Award and the Scottish Rite Masons of Brandon/The H.L. Crawford Brandon Collegiate War Memorial award.

Before he heads to university this fall, Zhang said he will visit family in China this summer.

“I’m a bit happy and a bit sad at the same time,” he said.

“I’m happy because I worked really hard for this and I’m about to start a new chapter in my life. I’m going off to university, which is a big deal for me, but on the other hand I’m leaving behind my family, my friends, the place I’ve lived for most of my life, so it’s a lot to take in at once.”

Zhang said there were points when he didn’t do as well in some courses as he had hoped.

“But I’m happy that in the end it worked out,” he said.

“I worked hard for all my classes and got the award I was hoping for.”

» mlee@brandonsun.com

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