North West College celebrates success with grad keynotes

May 14, 2018 | 11:00 AM

An important aspect of any graduation are speakers who impart wisdom and wish the graduates well.

North West College will hold graduation celebrations at its Meadow Lake and Battleford campuses in a few weeks, and two influential Indigenous women will address the roughly 270 graduating students during the ceremonies. Meadow Lake-born actor Dakota Hebert will speak to graduates at the northern ceremony May 30, and on June 1 Senator Lillian Dyck will return to her hometown to address students at the North Battleford grad.

Hebert said she was thrilled when she was asked to speak.

“It’s really exciting,” Hebert said. “There’s something that feels almost full-circle. It’s an honour to be asked to come back to your hometown to do a speech to people that you’ve grown up with.”

She said post-secondary schooling is important, so she’s happy to speak about how education helped shape her life. In 2012, she became the first Indigenous student to attend the Globe Theatre Conservatory Program at the University of Regina.

“The post-sec that I received is what springboarded my career,” Hebert said.

Melanie Roberts, North West College interim president and CEO, said it’s the mission of the college to profile successful local people who have contributed to society in positive ways.

“It helps to show people that even though you’re from rural Saskatchewan, there are big things ahead for you,” Roberts said.

 

–With files from Roger White.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath