Yellowknife (May 13/05) - It was a day to celebrate, and you could hear it in the skin-drum music and cheerful mingling as the students of Aurora College celebrated their graduation.

The 2005 convocation ceremony honoured 36 students from Computing and Information Systems to Nursing for completion of their programs.

One by one, graduates accepted their diplomas and certificates, to rhythms offered by the Sisters of the Drum.

There were speeches from Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew and Education Minister Charles Dent, but maybe most memorable was the valedictorian address by Marina Powless of the Teacher Education Program.

"I'd like to congratulate you all," she started, and then, jokingly, "and thank you all for never procrastinating."

She said it was hard to get to this point, especially while raising her rambunctious five-year-old son Tyrell, and she owes a lot to her fiance, Derrick Sangris.

"I never thought I would be valedictorian," Powless said, "I don't know how I could have done it without Derrick, because Tyrell is such an active kid."

Powless, like many students, will be going on to the University of Saskatchewan to finish her Bachelor of Education in the Indian Teacher Education Program. Once that is done she plans to come back to the North and teach anything from kindergarten to Grade 8.

The ceremony also featured eight awards given to exceptional students.

Three were given to nursing student Tracey MacInnis-Holick.

MacInnis-Holick received an award for academic excellence, clinical excellence and the Helen Kelly Gibson Award, given annually to a student who overcomes adversity to become a nurse.

"Touching, honoured, pick a word," she said, through a smile.