We sometimes forget that our little region is often as great of a stepping stone for young people as any large centre.
Chemainus Secondary School graduates have gone on to many tremendous accomplishments in the big world. Others have stayed closer to home and achieved wonderful things as well.
The point is we don’t always give ourselves enough credit as a place that provides all the necessities for high school grads to succeed in whatever field they choose, whether it’s on a grandiose scale or not.
Recent stories in the Courier, you may have noticed, featured details of significant careers that eventually resulted for individuals from the hallowed halls of learning at Chemainus Secondary.
Jason Berndt was a Governor General’s Award winner in 2008 and continued his education afterwards at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., putting it all to good use to become a member of the 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force posted at Bagotville, Quebec.
Rebecca Andison of Thetis Island graduated in 1999 and has been with Feld Entertainment Inc.’s Disney On Ice ever since as a skater and performance director, travelling the world for the better part of 18 years.
There are many others, of course, with amazing stories to tell and we hope to hear from the public about some of them so they can be published for the greater community to feel proud about where our graduates have gone and what they’ve done with their lives.
With the amazing expertise of the current school staff, teachers like Janet Ruest who go above and beyond the call of duty, you can be sure students here are receiving the ultimate experiences and education so they’re well-prepared for the next phase of their lives.