Night of green and gold

TOSH class of 2017 graduates 234 students

It was a sea of green and gold at Credit Union Place Thursday evening as 234 Three Oaks Senior High School graduates took their final steps as grade school students.

There were hugs, laughter, untold numbers of selfies and even a few tears as the class of 2017 gathered in the Veteran’s Convention Centre to put on their gowns.

There was a nervous excitement in the room as everyone prepared for their big walk across the stage. Student Liam Desroches of Summerside was certainly eager to collect his diploma from principal Jeff Clow.

Desroches is leaving in a week for Alberta.

“It’s the start of a new life, a new beginning,” he said. That theme of “new beginnings” was repeated a few times throughout Thursday’s graduation ceremony.

Clow told his students to savour the moment but to prepare

themselves for the big steps that will come next in their lives. “As you know, it’s a tough world out there and nothing will be handed to you,” he said. “You have to earn it. But you’re now armed with one of the most important tools

needed to forge your path ahead. It is not the diploma itself that counts, it is what you’ve learned along the way and what you do with the education you received on your journey. Your future is in your hands, no one else’s.”

Finally, just before students were called to the stage to accept their certificates, their valedictorian, Brett Gallant, gave his rather crowd-pleasing speech that was full of humour and thoughtful retrospective on the past 12 years.

It was a great honour to be in the position to be able to make that speech, he said prior to giving it.

“I just wanted it to be as lighthearted as possible, but at the same time I wanted the classes to be able to take something away from it,” said Gallant.

“It’s insane to think about how long we’ve been in school for – 12 years has really flown by … to be here today is kind of like I’m having an out of body experience.”

Valedictorian: Brett Gallant Governor General Award: Curtis Lough

Honourary Diploma for a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces: George Dalton

COLIN MACLEAN/JOURNAL PIONEER The Three Oaks Senior High School grad class of 2017 had its big night Thursday night, and everyone was happy to mark the occasion with plenty of pictures. Some of them included, from left, Baylee Desroches, Abby Malayny, Erin McDonald and Brin Forbes.

COLIN MACLEAN/JOURNAL PIONEER Brett Gallant, Three Oaks Senior High School class of 2017 valedictorian, speaks to his fellow graduates during Thursday night’s convocation ceremony at Credit Union Place.