Blake Rosling, a Grade 12 student at William Morton Collegiate Institute (WMCI), has been named the valedictorian for the graduating class of 2025. Despite not actively pursuing the title, Rosling's dedication to academics, extracurriculars, and personal growth made him a natural choice for the honour.
"I was pretty excited," Rosling said, recalling the moment he got the phone call from his principal. "I just got a call while I was at work, and my principal told me I was valedictorian. It was a pretty exciting moment."
While Rosling didn't set out to become valedictorian, his consistent effort and strong support system helped pave the way.
"I didn't really shoot to be valedictorian, but I just put a little bit of work into school, and I think it just worked out that way," he said.
Rosling credits his academic success to the people around him.
"I had good teachers, and my parents and siblings were always there to help with school," he shared. One educator, in particular, made a lasting impression. Mr. Lang, who guided Rosling through his shop classes.
"He helped me learn how to weld, which is really important for me," said Rosling, who plans to pursue a career in heavy-duty mechanics.
Balancing academics with extracurriculars wasn't easy, especially considering Rosling's active involvement in volleyball, curling, hockey, and baseball throughout high school.
"You really don't 'balance it'," he admitted with a laugh. "You just gotta keep going. You've got something to do every day and your schedule's pretty full."
Despite the workload, Rosling's message to students is clear, take it all in and enjoy the ride.
"To the grade nines coming into high school, I'd definitely just tell them to enjoy it. These are some really fun years of your life. Do every sport you can," he said. To the incoming grade 12 class, he said "Don't worry about working too much, you've got the rest of your life to do that. Just go out with your friends, skip class once in a while, join a sport or a club. Do what you like."
Rosling's speech at graduation will carry a theme of exploration and courage.
"I'm just trying to encourage everybody to go and, while they're still young, try everything they want to try. Go out, take a risk, go travel, do something, before you get old and don't really have the opportunity anymore."
He also drew inspiration from a family member, his grandfather. "He was a farmer and did a bit of traveling, and that's kind of what I want to do too, be able to balance both."
Looking ahead, Rosling will be attending Assiniboine Community College in Brandon to study heavy-duty mechanics.
"I'm hoping to come back and work on my family farm. If I get my Red Seal in mechanics, hopefully I can do that work, and we won't have to pay someone else to do it."
To his classmates in the Class of 2025, Rosling shared one final message:
"Congratulations. You've made it a really fun four years, and I've enjoyed my time in high school quite a bit!"