KENSINGTON, P.E.I. — Houses will be quieter and bathrooms and bedrooms tidier as many students will soon be leaving the nest and flying away from their close-knit community of Kensington.
Marilyn Sheen, the valedictorian of Kensington Intermediate Senior High school (KISH), said she is excited to be starting a new chapter of her life at Guelph University in Ontario.
“I’m taking a four-year course, studying science with a major in biodiversity. I’m excited to go to a new and larger community, but I’ve been with the students here since Grade 1 so it’s sad to leave. Plus, the teachers know our names, brothers, sisters, and parents. We are a close-knit community,” Sheen said.
For the last few years the 49 graduates at KISH worked hard to get to this point, and on Thursday evening their persistence paid off.
“A big thing we’ve worked on teaching the students is to have resiliency in life. Hopefully being resilient will help make them successful and – most importantly – happy,” said Donald Mulligan, KISH principal. “Life doesn’t always go to plan, but usually if you work hard then things will work out in the end."
Mulligan said he is sure the graduates will continue to have success when they leave the school door.
Friends, family, staff, and the Kensington community came to show their support at the graduating ceremony, which saw many students awarded prizes, bursaries and scholarships.
“Live your dreams and take risks,” said Sheen.
As valedictorian, Sheen thanked the teachers, parents, and her fellow students for helping each other realize their potential.
“I’ve learned a lot from this school, but also the people around me,” she said.
Damien Doucette received the Governor General’s Award, given to the graduate with the highest academic standing.
“The teachers here are very close with the students because this is a small community. You can approach them in the hallway and joke around. I will miss this the most because I doubt it will be the same experience at university,” said Doucette, who will study sustainable engineering at UPEI.
“Everyone is different, so focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. It never seemed like it then, but time goes so quickly, you really need to make the most of every situation,” said Doucette, offering his advice for younger students.
Juliana Elsinga, the junior tech and health teacher, announced her retirement during the ceremony.
“I taught all of them in Grades 7, 8, and 9. But I missed just over a year of teaching because of some leg surgeries. One graduate is my nephew, but I’ve known a lot of the students since they were kids,” she said. “I had my three daughters attend this school, including many nieces and nephews. It’s exciting to see them transition to the next stage of their life, and it’s neat to walk around town and see the former students.”
Elsinga's advice for students is to do all things in moderation.
“You can’t study, party, and work all the time. You must balance everything out.”
