The faculty and students of Ecole Heritage are filled with relief that they could have a normal grad this year. 

The principal of Ecole Heritage in Saint Pierre, Christopher Hicks, was excited for this year's ceremony. 

“We’ll have the presentations and speeches just like we used to without any fear or stress about whether or not we’re violating some kind of health protocol.” 

It’s a very small class with only 9 graduates. Hicks says that they were a larger class at the beginning of high school, but people moved schools and COVID changed things as well. The graduating class is the smallest class in the whole school. 

“This will be the last single-digit grad class we’re anticipating for many, many years.” 

Ariele Ullrich was chosen as valedictorian by her classmates. Hicks says she has shown great dedication to her schoolwork, humanitarian work, and student council initiatives. 

Ullrich says, “it felt like an honor to be chosen by my classmates to be the one who gives a speech to encourage them moving forward.” 

She was also very grateful to be able to have a normal grad. She reflects on seeing the previous graduates going through grad during COVID with limited guests. Ullrich was excited that everyone’s family and friends could attend the ceremony in the Saint Malo Church this year. 

“Now we really get that opportunity to have everyone show up through the grad and have all that support.” 

Ullrich has been accepted into the Faculty of Science at the University of Manitoba, and from there she hopes to go into medicine. 

She feels hopeful going into the future, and encourages her fellow graduates to look forward to what is next. 

“Having been confined to your room or even social distancing in classrooms you have been limited on what you can do. Now that you know what it’s like to have limits, to be able to go above and beyond those limitations and use that opportunity to do what you want and change the world.” 

Hicks shares his final message to the graduates of 2022: 

“Consider the grave interruption of your high school life that was COVID, to just treat that as a learning experience. Don’t treat it like it was something that held you back or that compromised your education or your ability to grow as a person. Treat it as a test, and because of your strong character you got through.”