Riverton Collegiate’s 2025 graduates had a far-out high school graduation ceremony on June 25 at the Riverton Hall, with a disco-themed ceremony, sage advice to accompany them on their path forward and numerous awards and scholarships to help support their post-secondary educational pursuits.
The high school’s 18 grads celebrated the end of high school as friends, family members and awards sponsors cheered them on.
Valedictorians Sonja Asmundsson and Averi Kornelsen congratulated their classmates for having overcome challenges and achieved success. They reminded them to stay true to themselves as they embark on new adventures beyond the comfort of the school and community that nurtured them.
“As we head out into the world, the opportunities can feel endless. All of the new places and people to meet is a big change from seeing the same 70 people every day. And yet one piece of simple advice remains the same: that is to always and above all else stay true to yourself. If you ever have doubt in your choices, remember this and it will lead you where you’re meant to go,” said Asmundsson. “Don’t waste your time worrying about what others may think of you or what expectations they might have for you. Stay your authentic self and you will find the people that accept and value you for who you are.”
Kornelsen said as they find their way forward, they might feel as though they’re alone. But they should remember that their school and community will continue to support them.
“You will always have this wonderful school and community behind you, to cheer on your achievements and pick you up after your trials,” said Kornelsen. “You will always have this place and these people to call home.”
The valedictorians thanked their families, friends and teachers for being their biggest supporters and for having put up with their “bad attitudes, bad grades, questionable choices and every bad haircut.”
The grad’s guest speaker, teacher Rob Jantz, upped the ante on graduation fever, raising some laughs with his striped trousers, Hawaiian print shirt and chunky gold chain.
Fulfilling the grads’ desire to have a disco-themed grad day, Jantz got himself stoked about seeing them move on to better things than school. He dug out his method-acting manual and learned all he could about how to become a peace-loving, polyester-clad ’70s dude. He told the grads he had lain under a glitter ball in his disco-era garb and let the brass and thumping grove of KC and the Sunshine Band shake him up.
And it worked because Jantz called to mind one of the quintessential films of that hazy decade: Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. With themes such as budding love for someone on the opposite side of the economic tracks, a longing to escape from the minutiae of everyday life, and a desire for self-realization, the film reflects some of the feelings the grads themselves might be experiencing.
“How many of you are excited to be moving on from high school and nervous about what comes next? How many of you are feeling like they want to escape the local scene and see what the world has to offer? How many of you are feeling like they don’t want to disappoint anyone with what you do next? How many of you drive like maniacs around town?” Jantz asked the grads. “So, there’s some similarities here. Tony Manero [John Travolta’s character] wasn’t just strutting down a Brooklyn street in platform shoes to the Bee Gees. He was chasing something we all are: meaning, identity, and let’s be honest—a way out of our parents’ house.”
The moral of the story is that Tony has to cross a bridge he’s afraid to cross in order to give himself a chance at creating the life he desires, and to see if the path he takes will bring him to the place he imagines himself in. And the grads, too, will be faced with crossing their own bridges.
“It’s the end of one dance, but it’s also the start of a new one with harder steps and no clear choreography,” said Jantz. “And like Tony and Stephanie, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. But you do have to be brave enough to show up, try something new and grow.”
The grads don’t need to have all the answers now, he said, but they’ll need to continue to be grounded in the “amazing qualities” they already have including creativity, caring, desire to learn, consideration of other’s viewpoints, advocating for others, level-headedness and willingness to “cross that bridge” towards a life they imagine for themselves.
Riverton Collegiate principal Erin Furgala thanked the Riverton community for its support in raising healthy, well-adjusted kids, and said she’s so proud to see growth in each of her grads.
“Graduates, as you step into the next chapter of your story, I invite you to reflect on your purpose and your meaning. Your meaning should change and grow as you interact with others, face obstacles and opportunities, and take targeted action. Seek and create your meaning as you live. Test it, refine it, go deeper. Pursue it with others, including those you disagree with ….,” said Furgala. “At the heart of it all are people and relationships—the most important investments we can make. Becoming your best self takes courage, honesty and the willingness to learn from mistakes. It means owning your actions, repairing relationships and moving forward with integrity. Over the years, I’ve witnessed these values in you—in quiet reflections, in moments of growth, and in your willingness to do hard things with heart.”
Evergreen School Division superintendent Scott Hill told the grads that what they learned at Riverton Collegiate wasn’t just for tests or diplomas, but preparation for life.
“Being able to read closely, think critically, write clearly and use reason and sound judgment – these aren’t just school skills,” said Hill. “They’re also important to our mission to engage students in learning and become contributing citizens in a democracy. They’re important in our shared responsibilities to truth and reconciliation, to serving our communities, to being thoughtful consumers of media and to living well with others.”
Over a dozen grads received scholarships and bursaries from local and area organizations, family endowments, the Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton, the school division, Interlake-Gimli MLA Derek Johnson and post-secondary institutions, among many others.
Furgala presented Averi Kornelsen with the Governor General’s medal for academic excellence. Kornelsen achieved the highest academic average in grades 11 and 12.
After the ceremony, the grads gathered on Riverton’s iconic walking bridge over the Icelandic River, watching the rush of the water under their feet and perhaps reflecting on the journey they’re about to take in order to keep “stayin’ alive.”
