It's graduation day for 88 students of Ste. Anne Collegiate.
Principal Yvan St. Vincent says the 2024-25 school year has been one to remember, in all the right ways.
“Oh, it's been great,” St. Vincent said. “Honestly, you know, we seem to be out of those COVID years where things are returning back to normal as far as celebrations and grads and grad planning and all that stuff. It’s been a fantastic school year from start to finish.”
A Unique Class with Deep Bonds
When asked to describe the characteristics of this year’s grad class, St. Vincent didn’t hesitate.
“They're an extremely fun group. They’re very loyal to each other,” he said. “The girls are very responsible and mature. The boys are very energetic. But for whatever reason, they've created this amazing balance. Their friendships run deep.”
That sense of togetherness was echoed by valedictorians Avery Bittern and Madison Bergson, who were chosen after tying in a staff vote.
“We read our speeches to the teachers, and when they voted, we tied,” Madison explained. “So we got asked to do it together, which made sense because we basically do everything together anyway.”
“Yeah,” Avery added. “We do the announcements together every morning, and when we read each other’s speeches, we were like, ‘This is basically the same.’ It just kind of made sense.”
“I never thought I’d do this, like, represent everyone as valedictorian,” Madison said. “But one of the EAs really encouraged me. She said, ‘You gotta do this, Maddie.’ So I stayed up until 3 a.m. and did it. And I’m so glad we’re doing this together.”
Small Groups, Big Unity
The two grads say one of the special things about their class is how everyone is connected, even across different social circles.
“There are so many little groups, and we were kind of in every single one,” said Avery. “But it felt like we brought them all together.”
Principal St. Vincent agreed, saying, “I’m not going to call them cliques, but yeah, there are different groups. Still, when it’s time to come together, they do. It’s pretty special.”
Memories That Made a Mark
For Madison, her time in the school musical Mean Girls left a big impact and may have shaped her future.
“I played the teacher, and doing rehearsals brought people together that you never thought would really connect. It felt like one big family,” she said. “It actually made me want to become a teacher. That’s all thanks to Miss Ramstead, who directed the show and also teaches ELA.”
Avery said her favourite part of high school was just being involved.
“I volunteered for basically everything,” she said. “Being in sports and involved in school really made high school enjoyable for me.”
Looking Ahead
After graduation, Avery is headed straight to university, likely into kinesiology at the University of Manitoba. While Madison is taking a gap year to work and save money before applying to become a high school ELA teacher.
Special Messages for their Fellow Grads
The two may be headed on different paths next year, but they agree on the message they want to leave with their classmates.
Madison says, "Go for what you want to do. Don't be lazy. If you want to go to university or want to get that job, you should really do it. You should work hard for it, you know? Don't just settle."
"My encouragement," says Avery, "Would be like, take your time and don't move into it too fast. Like, if you know what you're wanting to do then, like just go do it. Don't waste your time procrastinating about it."
A Principal’s Message
As he prepares to say goodbye to this group of grads, Principal St. Vincent isn’t worried about the future.
“I think we often hear, ‘It’s hard to believe these kids are going to run our world one day,’” he said. “I’m excited for these kids to run our world one day. They’re passionate, they’re engaged. And I think they’re going to do a great job.”
Ste Anne Collegiate graduation day is Thursday, June 26, taking place at the Transcona Country Club in Winnipeg.