It is graduation season again and the Humboldt Collegiate Institute graduation ceremony on Jun. 29 saw another 81 students leave the halls of HCI to pursue careers and post secondary academic life.
This was also the first graduating class who spent their whole high school career within the new HCI building.
Principal Cory Popoff said in his speech during the ceremony that that made for an important connection with the students since this also meant that he taught the students all the way from grade 9 to grade 12.
It was bittersweet to say goodbye, says Popoff.
“For some reason I’ve been able to connect to every graduating class out there, however, I spent a little more time with these students.”
Popoff played double duty during the ceremony since his oldest daughter was one of the 81 students graduating.
‘I get to hear more stories. Good or bad, it helps me learn these students and appreciate who they are as people.”
What got to Popoff was the sense of finality of seeing his daughter and the rest of the students he taught walk off the stage at the end of the ceremony.
Popoff had plenty of well wishes for the graduates during his principal’s address but the most important piece of advice was this, continue to learn and treat people well.
Surround yourselves with positive people and you will have a positive life, said Popoff.
Teacher David Millette was the guest speaker for the event.
He encouraged students to “strive for greatness.”
“We commission you to represent our school and our community with greatness. Never forget where you came from, and never lose sight of where you are in the present moment.”
With references to Winston Churchill and his perseverance over a speech impediment and struggles in prep school, as well as Wall-E, the Disney movie about humanized robots being the saviour of humanity, Millette spoke to the students about how to strive for greatness.
Greatness is a process and education is the engine, greatness is the escape from the mundane, and greatness seeks out relationships in each moment, says Millette.
Angela Baran spoke about how her teachers have not only spoke about achieving greatness but were also an example of this in her Valedictorian Speech.
Her active sporting life has lead to relationships with the coaches and taking inspiration from their advice.
Kerri Archibald, or as Baran called her, ‘Arch’, was an example of this striving for greatness theme, treating sports beyond the winning and losing.
“When asked why? Why make kids go through all these practices, workouts, games? Where is it really going, and what does that mean towards their futures? It is just a game. The response from my coach Arch was exactly this, ‘If that’s the only thing I’ve taught or if that is what sport & athletics is all about, then I’ve failed as a coach.’”
HCI adds another name to legacy wall
The Humboldt Collegiate Legacy Award was given out during the HCI Graduation ceremony on Jun. 29.
Neil Stanley Crawford will now join previous winners Henry Kloppenburg, Otto Lang, Eleanor (Ann) Saddlemyer, and R. John Adams on the wall at Humboldt Collegiate as a graduate of HCI who has achieved excellence over a lifetime.
Crawford grew up on the south side of the city and graduated high school in 1949 and pursued a lifetime of political infamy in Alberta and Ottawa.
He received his law degree from the University of Saskatchewan and practiced law in the 50s and 60s.
He was Prime Minister John Diefenbaker’s executive assistant from 1961-1963 and was elected alderman for the City of Edmonton from 1966-1971. He became an MLA for Edmonton Parkallen under Premier Peter Lougheed until his retirement in 1989 and had numerous portfolios including Minister of Health and Social Development, Minister of Labour, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Attorney General, and Government House Leader.
Crawford died in 1992 from ALS and was survived by his wife Catherine, three sons, and three daughters.
In Crawford’s absence, the award was accepted by Henry Kloppenburg which was an honour, he says recalling Crawford as a distinguished and successful politician.
“If I could be a lawyer with at least half the distinction of Neil Crawford, I’d be honoured.”
HCI Principal, Cory Popoff, says it was very important to give the award out during the graduation ceremony, allowing the current graduates to see that and know their turn is next, says Popoff.
“It connects to the graduates what potentially their future can hold.”
HCI has produced many distinguished graduates which is not an anomaly, says Popoff.
“Our graduates tend to achieve at very high levels...it must be the environment we create for our students.”
