Crocus Plains grads ‘show up’ for big day

The graduates of Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School marched into Westoba Place Wednesday afternoon to enthusiastic applause, cheers and whistles from family and friends.

A total of 251 students crossed the stage to accept their high school diplomas. Only two were marked absent. But it was a day that “in no way” Maitri Patel was going to miss.

“I am so happy,” Patel exclaimed before the ceremony. She and her fellow grads gathered in the lower level of the Keystone Centre, chatting and hugging, helping each other with their maroon and gold caps and gowns.

“I feel a sense of accomplishment with what I’ve done in high school, and happy to have my parents see how much. It was a journey, but it was one that was worth it,” she said, adding, “Next year I’m taking business at BU and then hopefully moving to the States to accomplish even bigger things.”

Cooper Kirkpatrick “worked his butt off,” said his mom, Natasha, as they both stood on the ramp waiting for other family members from Ontario and New Brunswick to join them.

“We’re super proud,” Natasha said. “He’s graduating from Crocus and got his welding certificate, and he has his French immersion certificate from Neelin, so he’s worked hard to get those certificates — that’s why we’re super proud of him,” she said.

Cooper laughed as he talked about how his mom got everybody matching temporary tattoos of his face to celebrate his “four years of high school but a total of 13 years of classes.”

“High school was probably one of my best experiences in all my years of school,” Cooper said. “I met so many amazing people, so many amazing role models as teachers and coaches.

“And I got accepted at Assiniboine College for welding, so I start in September.”

When asked if he had any advice for someone just about to start high school, Cooper said, “Just go with the flow and have a good time. That’s what I did.”

Crocus offers students the opportunity to earn both academic and technology diplomas, including health-care aide, design and drafting, hairstyling and automotive.

There were many students like Cooper who graduated with a dual diploma, including Saphire Nadeau.

Along with her academic diploma, she has one in business, which helped her get accepted at Assiniboine next fall.

“I’m enrolled in business administration for human resources,” she said.

Nadeau is also a past participant and winner in the Manitoba High School Case Competition, which provides a platform for students to showcase their talents in solving real-world business challenges.

“I had a lot of business competitions in high school, and I won twice. So, in total I got $9,000 in tuition credit, so that’s helping me in college,” Nadeau said.

“I’ve always been interested in business. Even as a little kid I was selling things to family members, and now I’m the first to graduate on my mom’s side of the family, and I’m her youngest.”

There was a groundswell of excitement minutes before the graduates entered the Westoba arena, and vice-principal Kimberly Humphries was taking it all in.

“It would be so amazing if you could just bottle up all this excitement — it’s amazing to see,” Humphries said.

“This is my second year as a vice-principal at Crocus, and I feel a lot of pride in their accomplishments. It can be a very tough struggle for some students, and for some it comes easier. But this is definitely good to see a lot of excitement for their futures.”

Graduation day will never get old, Brandon School Division Supt. Matthew Gustafson told the Sun as he waited for the ceremony to begin.

“It’s the highlight of the year,” he said.

Gustafson had humble beginnings as a teacher in Killarney. He went on to become vice-principal at Vincent Massey and then principal there, as well as principal at Betty Gibson and Crocus Plains.

“Our students are going to be our community leaders,” he said.

“This is the culmination of 13 years — the impact of the parents’ support, the teachers, everything from the kindergarten teacher to Grade 12, even the custodians and the bus drivers who make sure the students have safe places and get to school,” said Gustafson.

“There are just under 2,000 employees that all had their fingerprints on a day like today, and it is wonderful to see that.”

The Governor General’s Medal for Academic Excellence was awarded to the class of 2025’s Violet Bell, with her academic average of 98 per cent.

In her valedictorian address, Grace Mohr-Clark told her fellow students to “keep showing up,” to take what Crocus taught them and seize every opportunity they can.

“We only have one shot at life, so we need to make the most of it,” Mohr-Clark said from the podium.

“My wish for you all, wherever you are headed, is to create a world where you are present in the moment,” she said.

“Here’s to lessons learned and memories made. Congratulations, Class of 2025, we did it.”

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