Holy Redeemer Awards Night celebrates the student achievement
On Saturday October 3, the gymnasium at Holy Redeemer was transformed and the red carpet was rolled out for HRH’s Annual Awards Night. The evening celebrates student excellence during the last school year in academics, athletics, citizenship and fine arts.
“Tonight we celebrate student success and everyone who made this possible,” said Assistant Principal Paul Tobin during his opening remarks as one of the Masters of Ceremonies for the evening’s event. “From the teachers, to the parents, to the community as whole, everyone has helped these students find success.”
As per usual, the evening was divided into three categories. The first was athletics where students are awarded trophies for their effort and attitude on the various sports teams. This year, a few students walked away with more than one trophy. Josie Sorensen won the awards for Most Valuable Player in Junior A Basketball, Junior Cross Country, and the Junior High Heart & Hustle. “It was really an honour,” says an excited Sorensen. “I just enjoy going out and playing these sports. To be recognized as ‘most valuable’ really makes me feel appreciated by the coaches.” Other multiple award winners included Kn Buhat (MVP Senior Badminton, Athlete of the Year), Jacob Chase (MVP Junior Badminton, Heart & Hustle), Parker Goulet-Beard (Football True Grit, MVP Basketball, Heart & Hustle), Tomas Mark (MVP Cross Country, MVP Track & Field), Alex Melnyk (MVP Junior Badminton, Athlete of the Year), Shawn Rogers (MVP Junior Badminton, Athlete of the Year), and Anna Stang (MVP Junior Badminton, MVP Track & Field, Athlete of the Year).
The second category is always the Fine Arts Awards. Here students in the art and drama programs are recognized for their work during the year. Receiving the Junior Drama Awards were Jillian Austman and Quinn Larder. “This is just the coolest thing,” says Larder, who is remembered for his iconic portrayal of The Grinch in last year’s main stage production. “This just makes me love drama even more than I already do.” The senior drama awards went to Tamara Everett and Daniel Handford. Art Teacher Sandy Fedorak presented two students with the Visual Art Award: Tamara Everett and Sam Hockett. “Both of these students really contributed to the heart of our program,” says Fedorak. “I’m so continually impressed with their growth and vision. I know these talents will serve them well in the future.”
The final category, and perhaps the most prestigious, was the awards and scholarships based on academic achievement. The students receiving the highest academic honour in grades 7 to 11 each received a trophy and a cheque for their achievements. The recipients were: grade 7 – Damon Byers and Landon Schultz; grade 8 – Rafael Pasion and Madeline Stanley; grade 9 – Spencer Smith, Shawn Rogers and Ashlynn Martin; grade 10 – April Stanley and Allyson Deleeuw; and Grade 11 – Juliea Pierog and Tamara Everett.
In grade 12, students can receive a number of monetary scholarships to assist them with post-secondary education. Graduate Ben Bittner received a number of big scholarships for his work during the 2014-2015 school year. These awards included the Shell Canada Award, English 30-1 Scholarship, Math 30-1 Scholarship, Physics 30 Scholarship, Chemistry 30 Scholarship, and the Grade 12 Academic Honours Scholarship. Bittner, who also received the coveted Governor General’s Award, is currently studying engineering at the University of Alberta. “I’m actually heading back to Edmonton tonight,” says Bittner. I have midterms starting this week and I have to get studying.” Needless to say, he is making excellent use of all the monetary scholarships.
One final award that is worth mentioning is the Aaron Mackay Congeniality Award, named after a young and well-loved high student who passed away over the summer. Although he had only attended HRH for one year, he quickly became a favourite with classmates and teachers alike. This year would have been Mackay’s graduating year, and people are certain that his engaging smile and outgoing personality would have made him a strong candidate for the Congeniality Award. Mackay’s mother, Nicole Rumball presented the award to Quinn Campbell and Lane Stone.
As always, Holy Redeemer thanks all the businesses who sponsored the various awards.
For a complete list of award recipients, go to holyredeemerhigh.ca.