MANS graduated its first Grade 12 class on Thursday, May 28. Frederick Crier-Jamerson and Coralie Nepoose are the school’s first high school graduates. Together, Crier-Jamerson and Nepoose were awarded more than $26,000 in scholarships to continue their educations at university or other post-secondary institutions.

Crier-Jamerson and Nepoose, who have attended school together since kindergarten, are “happy and excited” to be graduating as part of the school’s newest milestone. When asked what advice he would give to younger students about staying in school, Crier-Jamerson said “It’s always better to have an education.” In her valedictorian speech, Nepoose emphasized that "Education is the key to everything."

The families of the graduates attended in support of their success and aspirations. “I didn’t believe you three years ago when you told me my daughter would graduate from high school and go on to university,” Nepoose’s father, Levi Nepoose, told MANS principal Gail Wilton. “Because of this school and the scholarships, we can see it’s actually going to happen.”

The graduates and their families are glad that MANS added the high school classes that allowed the class of 2015 to fulfill university and trade school entrance requirements.

MANS began adding high school classes one grade at a time in the 2012-13 year even though that meant admitting fewer students due to space limitations. A recently-completed addition to the existing facility, added through generous donations of labour from Camrose Rotarian Ron Grue and Calgary contractor William Piersanti, created enough additional space to allow Crier-Jamerson and Nepoose to finish high school in the unique environment that has fostered their academic success.

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