Strathmore High School honored four of its outstanding alumni at the Pillars of Strathmore High School ceremony on Monday (Jan. 27).
Blaire Anderson, a recipient of one of the awards, spoke on the hard work and dedication that brought her to this moment.
"So, I'm a transplant and surgical ecologist, and I went to high school here and then I went all over for my school. So, I actually did 15 years of education after high school to do what I do now," said Anderson.
Anderson is currently working in Edmonton as a transplant surgeon and mentioned her favourite part of the job has been teaching the trainees that are coming up in the medical industry.
"I appreciate the teachers that I had in Strathmore because they really led me on that path," added Anderson.
Anderson hopes to inspire future generations of students to work hard and reach their goals.
"You really can be and do anything you want, and some things take a long time and a lot of work but if you're dedicated you can really be anything you want to be," said Anderson.
According to Doug Raycroft, Principal of Strathmore High School, the ceremony began in 2010 after the school received a donation from the Steve Rodehutskors family.
"Steve was a graduate of Strathmore High School and he was a football player with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and he tragically passed away a little bit early in life."
In a statement from school officials, the donations funded a new scoreboard for the gym and supported the Pillars of Strathmore High School program.
"We probably have about 25 or 30 pillars up in our hallways, and we try to add two or three every year just to keep on the tradition in the community from our alumni," added Raycroft.
Raycroft mentioned the process for picking the next alumni is decided by current and retired staff on the committee.
"The criteria kind of changes but it's basically people who have excelled in some aspect of their life or field."
The pillars have recognized alumni in a range of careers such as doctors, lawyers, and athletes to ensure there is a variety of standout graduates.
"Any student can reach what they would consider excellence while being a good citizen and meet the mission statement that we try to put forward for all of our students,' added Raycroft.
There were three other alumni honoured during the ceremony.
For more information about the Pillars of Strathmore High School ceremony or to view the current pillars online, visit here.