After 12 long years of scholastic endeavour, Gimli High School’s graduating class of 2025 walked up the red carpet and celebrated their triumphant arrival on the graduation stage before hundreds of family, friends and school staff.
The 65 graduates looked back on their high school years with laughter, looked forward to their future journey and paid tribute to the people who encouraged them every step of the way during their graduation ceremony held on June 23 at the Gimli Recreation Centre.
Olivia Harapiak and Traydon Courtland delivered the valedictorian address, fondly remembering shared moments with their classmates that included finding their friend groups, the joy of laughing with friends, taking the bus on field trips and pulling together as a team to get projects done. These are the memories they said they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
“It was once said that school days are the best days of your life. And it’s only when you’re standing on the edge of graduation that you truly understand why. It’s not about the grades, the tests and the deadlines,” said Courtland. “It’s about the hallway laughter, the quiet moments before class, the group projects that you somehow pulled through and the people who became part of your story. It’s about the small things: the glances, the inside jokes, the shared looks of panic during a test that one day will become the memories we treasure most.”
Although it’s “sad to see this chapter of our lives coming to an end,” said Harapiak, they’ll always be linked to each other through their hometown.
“Small towns are more than just places: they are tapestries woven into our minds,” she said. “We will forever be connected to Gimli and therefore connected to each other.”
The valedictorians reminisced about teachers checking in to see they were okay, administration staff that greeted them every morning with a smile, their losing battle with the custodians to leave messy classrooms and teachers that were there for them through tears and laughter.
They also paid tribute to their parents and families for being there “every step” of the way and “lifting” them up through it all.
“Our parents have been our rocks, our motivators and our emotional support systems, and some of the hardest working people I’ve ever known,” said Courtland. “They’ve celebrated our small wins, helped us through major setbacks and reminded us that we were capable of more than we knew.”
GHS principal Jamie Gilbart told the grads the school is proud of them. They embody the values and traditions that have run deeply through their tight-knit community for generations. Their support for one another, their spirit and resilience and pride in their culture and traditions “lives” in each of them. They made a difference using their voices and through their actions.
“That’s what I hope you carry with you: a sense of pride of where you came from and a sense of responsibility to give back wherever it is you land. You are the next link in a long and meaningful chain,” said Gilbart. “Graduates, today belongs to you. You worked hard, faced challenges and persevered through uncertainties that no generation before you quite understands the same way. You’ve grown not only in knowledge, but in maturity, creativity and compassion. That’s something no textbook can teach you.”
Evergreen School Division superintendent Scott Hill said their standing on the podium to earn their high school diploma is evidence of their learning and willingness to use the educational system to realize their potential.
“You’ve made it. Not just through exams and essays, but through years of learning and adapting and growing. You’ve done that in a public school system that believes deeply in your potential….” said Hill. “We said things like, ‘Let’s make sure every student gets high quality teaching every single day. Let’s keep our classrooms calm, safe, and focused so learning can actually happen. Let’s make sure every student can read because literacy is not optional – it’s foundational.’ These things are not flashy. They’re not complicated. But they work. Your success here today is proof of that.”
Gilbart presented graduate Amaris Toews with the Governor General’s medal for academic excellence. The medal recognizes a student for having achieved the highest academic average over the final two years of high school regardless of the number of courses taken. It also represents “countless hours of commitment, perseverance and intellectual curiosity.”
Over two dozen graduates received awards and scholarships during a separate ceremony held on June 19 with their awards’ sponsors. Sponsors included the school division, local organizations, service clubs, businesses, family endowments, municipalities and post-secondary institutions.
The grads were the toast of the town later in the day as scores of family members, friends and well-wishers lined the streets of Gimli and cheered them on during their parade.
