It was a big day for Strathmore High School's graduating class of 2025 on Saturday, May 24.
Students, parents and teachers gathered at the school for the graduates to receive their diplomas. The ceremony included an prerecorded video address from valedictorian Gwen Smith.
"For many of us, including myself, graduation is bittersweet," said Smith. "I'm sure many of us overlooked the last three years of our lives, taking high school for granted."
"I know that I will truly miss spending the majority of the week with my friends, the amazing memories we've all created, the school sports, and all the fun activities we got to do together as high school students."
Following the morning ceremony, graduates returned in the evening, this time shedding their gowns and donning suits and dresses for a final celebration. The night featured videos, a catwalk through the gym, and more speeches from students and teachers.
"We saw it all. The all-nighters, your chats with GPT in your work, the unforgettable moment when your class successfully invited RCMP from at least three local detachments to your grad, and they actually showed up in full uniform. Although maybe a day early," said social studies teacher Mark McKeen.
"But in between hallway chaos and exam day panics, something incredible happened. You grew up. You found your voices, you stumbled, some of you face-planted, but you got back up."
Although students still have a few more weeks of school, that night they celebrated knowing their 12-year journey has finally come to an end.