submitted by the EGMB executive
Graduating students, teachers, parents, and dignitaries came together in North Grenville on June 27 and 28 to celebrate the completion of students’ secondary school studies without pandemic restrictions and face coverings; just smiling faces, laughter, applause, hoots and hollers, and even the odd tear. Graduation is a very special occasion filled with tremendous meaning!
Members of the Eric Gutknecht Memorial Bursary executive were on hand to present the charity’s bursary, awarded annually to a student continuing post secondary education, who has faced personnel or family challenges, who has demonstrated perseverance and who is involved in school and the community.
At St. Michael’s School on the afternoon of June 27, there were 93 recipients of Ontario Secondary School Diplomas and Certificates, with Darren Cleroux taking top honours for the EGMB Award. Darren shared many of Eric’s interests including philosophy, war history, and psychology and will be pursuing his dreams at the University of Guelph for a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. His passion is to help others with mental illness and to understand why they are suffering, who they are, and especially how they develop into the individual they are today. Darren received $1500, a winner’s plaque and his name will be forever etched on the school plaque, proudly displayed in the St. Michael School’s trophy case.
The following morning at North Grenville District High School, 153 potential Ontario Secondary School Diplomas and Certificates were announced and presented to graduating students. MacKenzie Leclair took home top honours for the EGMB Award and also received $1500 and a plaque for his victory efforts. MacKenzie will be attending the University of Toronto studying physical and environmental sciences, with the end objective being the study of astronomy. He has always had a keen interest in the field of astronomy, such as cosmology, astrophysics, astrology and the general history of astronomy.
The EGMB Charity has now awarded $37,000 to deserving students at our two local secondary schools since 2011! Congratulations to all graduating students in North Grenville and also those students taking a gap
year, those going into the world of work and those who just remain undecided as to what their next steps will be. Every student at both schools deserve considerable praise for working through their studies while enduring the certain frustrations with the on again/off again cruelty of the pandemic. Hats off to the class of 2022!
