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“There’s lots of excitement from our graduates, for sure.”
Those are the words of Principal Penelope Hovorka-Alcock referring to the atmosphere at Vita Shevchenko School.
“We're definitely happy about this year, one where we could have a full year of lots of excitement. So, it's been a good year. The students have some mixed emotions about leaving the school because they really like it here, but yeah, they're excited to move on too.”
Alcock says their graduating class of 22 is a bit smaller than in past years. She describes them as a really nice, very respectful group.
“They're not afraid to ask questions if there's something they're not sure about, or if they'd like a change in something.” She gives an example. “There was a change with the grade 12 hang-out area, we moved it to the multi-purpose room, and they actually ended up really liking it. But not before writing up a petition and getting all the grads to sign it. So, I thanked them for that and told them that that’s a good way of getting your point across and we took some of their suggestions on the new space and we worked together on it.”
Alcock says she’s already heard of several students who are registered at the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg.
"It just shows the type of class that they are. And I'll add, we do have some students that are going towards trades like, there's one student that actually is continuing in Morris next year with welding to get another semester and then we have some that want to go into carpentry and electrical. So yeah, usually they get jobs and then work towards their trades that way. So, we try to promote that a lot at our school between the Red River area between Morris/Altona and our school and then also Dominion City and Winkler, there's a selection of schools.”
Alcock has been in the education field for more than 30 years and has been a part of the lives of several schools and divisions in the southeast. “I mean, I could have retired a couple of years ago, but I enjoy the jobs that I've been doing, and I like change.”
The Shevchenko grad class chose 2 Valedictorians, Angelo Nesca and Zach Thiessen.
Angelo says his favorite part of high school has been playing sports, for the teamwork and for the extracurricular activities saying, “It was fun to be with our classmates.”
Angelo gives a shout-out to his favorite teacher, Hal Lavery. “He helped me as a coach and as a teacher.” And because of that, after graduation, Angelo will be attending the University of Winnipeg, why? “The teachers here at Shevchenko have inspired me to become a teacher.” He continues, “It was a privilege to be a part of this grad class and I would like for everyone to try hard and put in effort because I know they can do well and great.”
Meanwhile, fellow Valedictorian Zach says his favorite part of high school has been spending time with his classmates and friends.
“I have enjoyed Ms. Nogier's ELA class. We enjoyed Mr. Harden's gym class. Doing experiments in science or building projects in shops class have all been highlighted through the years.”
What’s ahead for Zach? “I will be attending U of M, going to get my Bachelor of Science specializing in agronomy, so I will be in the agriculture industry. I have been privileged to grow up on a farm and I've enjoyed it and want to continue in that field. I would love to come back to the farm and work on our family farm.”
Zach shares these words of encouragement for his fellow grads.
“I would tell them to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals and not to give up. Look at what we've already accomplished and just imagine what else you can do to also not forget your friends and all the good memories we have been able to share together here at Shevchenko.”
As the graduates get ready for their final hours in the school as students, Principal Alcock has these words,
“On behalf of all Shevchenko staff, we definitely wish our 2023 graduates the best in their next steps in life. From being in high school and moving on. I would say never to let a no answer stop you from reaching your goals. Just keep working hard. Be patient and practice. Just practice positive affirmation and yeah, you'll do well in life.”