It was a return to the traditional graduation ceremony in the gymnasium for this year’s graduating class at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School, after two years of pandemic-imposed alternative celebrations to mark the milestone event. The 94 graduating students were appropriately honoured and celebrated on June 18 for having excelled despite the extreme adaptations and challenges that marked their time walking the halls of CVR.
For the first time, the ceremony was opened by a land acknowledgement statement, read by Nelleke Nieuwenhof and Andrew Sinray.
This was followed by the customary address by the principal, Anick Leclerc, who noted that, as a previous principal at Gault Institute and Heritage Elementary before moving to CVR, she was privileged to watch some of the students graduate for a second time. “It has been a pleasure having you as our students,” she said while addressing the graduates, whom she referred to as synonyms of resilience for having transformed a force stronger than themselves into something good. Leclerc reminded the class they are now part of CVR’s alumni and should carry their Spartan pride going forward, while encouraging them to find their “organizational tool,” to resist chasing perfection, and to have the audacity to express their needs when in doubt. “Take it all in and celebrate,” she concluded.
Valedictorian Maeve McIntyre then addressed her fellow graduates as well as the packed gymnasium. In a stirring speech, she highlighted some memorable student antics and teacher traits while not shying away from acknowledging the “chaos” of the pandemic. “We cannot let what is out of our control define us. We choose who we become,” she said. “We have not only survived but we have thrived,” she explained, noting how students had been forced to jump through many additional hoops to get to this day. “We bent, flew, and flexed, and we made it through!” she exclaimed, before sincerely thanking the teachers and staff at CVR on behalf of the graduates as well as their parents and families.
The ceremony then proceeded to the presentation of diplomas, followed by the awarding of prizes and awards for achievement in subject areas. Gregg Edwards, the president of the CVR Educational Foundation, then presided over the presentation of bursaries and scholarships – representing a total of $109,125 – to deserving students.
A celebratory pause took place mid-presentation as the Educational Foundation ceremoniously awarded its millionth dollar. Members of the foundation who were present in the room were invited to come forward as Principal Leclerc presented them with a bouquet of flowers and a profound thank-you for their dedication to helping students achieve success in higher education. In its 37-year history, the foundation has raised and awarded $1,078,536 to CVR graduates.
The CVR Educational Foun-dation Founders Scholarship and the Birks bronze medal for the second-highest overall achievement were presented to Maeve McIntyre. The CVR Educational Foundation Founders Scholarship as well as the Birks silver medal and Reeves Scholarship for the highest academic achievement of the graduating class were then presented to Isabel-Ann Trudel. The ceremony was capped with the awarding of the Lloyd H. Adamson Prize to Maeve McIntyre, as the graduating student best exemplifying the spirit of CVR.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022!
