In a unique celebration of academic achievement, St. Claude School Complex is proud to honour not one but two valedictorians from its 2025 graduating class, Sydney Kiefer-Starling and Aiden Morisseau. Representing both the English and French streams of the school, the pair both had heartfelt reflections on their high school journeys on Friday as St. Claude celebrated their graduation, filled with challenges, unexpected victories, and unwavering support.
For Sydney Kiefer-Starling, being named valedictorian came as a shock.
"I was very surprised," she admitted. "I thought that another kid in my class was definitely going to get it, so it was a really nice surprise."
The selection process at St. Claude is student-driven, making the honour all the more meaningful.
"It's just the students in the graduating class that decide," Sydney explained. "That means that they believe in me and think that I can go the distance."
Sydney, who plans to attend MIT to study electrical applications and become an electrician, sees this moment as both recognition and motivation.
"Being valedictorian will really motivate me to keep my academics up," she said. "It shows me my classmates believe in me."
Like many students across the country, Sydney faced a significant hurdle during the pandemic, and she reflected on those challenges.
"Any of the online classes were definitely a struggle," she recalled. "Not having a teacher there to explain things face to face made it really difficult."
Despite the challenges, Sydney says her support system kept her grounded.
"My parents helped me through it all," she said. "And my favourite teacher, Mr. DeGrave, made school fun. He was the reason I wanted to be there."
One of her favourite high school memories was a sleepover at the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature.
"We had a scavenger hunt in the dark with just flashlights. It was the coolest experience," she said, laughing.
When asked what she hopes people remember about her, Sydney said, "Hopefully that I was nice, and not just the girl yelling at my class to get their heads out of their butts!"
On the English side, Aiden Morisseau also expressed surprise at being chosen.
"I didn't think anybody would pick me," he said. "But I guess because I get along with everyone, that's why they voted for me."
Aiden balanced his academics with a variety of extracurriculars, including basketball, broom ball, and a newly formed baseball team.
"We lost every game," he said, "but it was so fun to play."
While he credits his own efforts, Aiden said his biggest inspiration was principal and teacher Ryan Mangin.
"He's just an overall great guy. He knows everything from ELA to math, and he's always there for us."
In his speech, Aiden plans to highlight the teachers' patience and the class's journey.
"We just want to thank the teachers for putting up with us this long," he said.
Aiden, who currently works at a welding shop, plans to attend Assiniboine Community College in Brandon to pursue his Red Seal in welding.
"I want to be able to weld wherever I want," he said confidently.
Offering advice to younger students, Aiden was candid:
"Always study and don't do dumb things that'll get you in trouble," he said, chuckling. "And if you don't study for exams, it'll come back to bite you."
Both students reflected on their growth since starting school.
"I would tell kindergarten Sydney to speak your mind. Don't be such a pushover,” said Kiefer-Starling. Morisseau echoed a similar sentiment saying to his younger self, "We finally did it!"
As they close this chapter and prepare for the next, Sydney and Aiden stood together as proud examples of what it means to rise to the occasion, not only for themselves but for their peers who believed in them.