55 students are graduating from Green Valley School in Grunthal (Photo credit: Sarah Harder).

Two emotional valedictorians will be addressing their class at the Green Valley School graduation Wednesday evening.

Valedictorians Samuel Wiebe and Jonathan Essau say they will miss the fun-loving family-like dynamics their class has carried with them for the past many years and feel both

Samuel Wiebe and Jonathan Essau will be representing their class as valedictorians.privileged and burdened to have been given the difficult task of saying goodbye.

“I’m pretty soft so I’m probably going to be trying to hold back tears,” offers Wiebe, “and if I cry, everyone else is going to cry so I’m going to half to keep it together for my grade’s sake.”

Essau acknowledges that the thought of moving forward in life is daunting. “It’s a little scary I’ll be honest. You grew up with these people and see them every day and now you kind of have to pick and choose who you stick with, and sadly leave some of them behind.”

The two grade 12 students fondly remember growing up in Grunthal and recall many good times playing basketball at the Drop Zone and eating pizzas at the local Petro.

“It’s interesting growing up in a small town,” comments Essau, “everything sticks with you and I think it’s left a good impression on me.”

Essau and Wiebe are graduating alongside 53 fellow classmates. The ceremonies will take place at 4:30 PM on Wednesday at the Emmanual Evangelical Free Church in Steinbach.