One chapter is ending, but their entire lives lay in front of them for the grads at Altona's W.C. Miller Collegiate. Aidyn Isaak is the Valedictorian for the class.
"It feels good, it feels bittersweet," she shared when asked about being chosen for the role. "Happy it's over, but also nervous, because what we do next. It's really an honour being valedictorian, people choosing they want you to represent your grade is pretty cool."
Isaak describes the grad class as being different from previous ones.
"There's outgoing athletes, and then there's some kids on the shyer side that kept to smaller groups," she said. "For the most part, everyone's growing together, especially more in these last few months, we've been able to connect in a different way than we have previous years."
And how have those connections been happening?
"We've been having more fires with more people in our grade, so we've been combining groups and everyone's getting to know each other more than we ever have," she noted. "We're adding new things onto grad. We're doing some more nostalgic things that we did when we were kids to kind of bring it back. We're all just reminiscing together, which is really cool. We even did some tailgates and stuff like that. Just more stuff to bring us together, and that's just been really cool."
High School memories
"I would say it's the simple things that really stick out to you, like seeing all these people in the hallways and talking to them about their weekends, they're going to be so different in a year compared to what it is now," said Isaak. "The teachers and all the bonds you've made, and all that interaction with the people around you, that's probably my favorite part."
She noted one of the most important things she learned during high school was to live in the moment.
"Don't worry about what comes next, or stress about the future, just enjoy it while it lasts," she offered. "That last year, they really say it goes by fast, and it really does. Really just living in the moment, and doing everything. You only live once."
The speech
Isaak will be addressing those in attendance at the grad ceremony Thursday, June 26th, and shared the speech has a music theme.
"How everything you do has music to it, like when you're talking to friends or you hear other friend groups, that's the music," she explained. "That's the big part of my speech, just listen to it and be thankful for getting to do all these things, and have all these memories, some people don't get to have. It's bittersweet, but hopefully more sweet than bitter."
And what's her advice to the Grade 11s entering their final year at W.C. Miller Collegiate this coming Fall?
"High school isn't the end of the world, there's always more to come," she said. "What we have we're lucky to have it, and just take it and run. You will only be with these people for the next year, for the grade elevens, and just live it up all you can, because then it's gone."
After graduation, Isaak will be participating in the Manitoba Sunflower Festival Queen Quest, and will follow that up by attending the University of Calgary this Fall studying Sociology.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Aidyn Isaak, below.