Yellowknife (May 25/05) - It doesn't take much to get Dominic Debogorski to blush. The 17-year-old turns three shades of red when he is asked to explain why he is so well liked.

Debogorski isn't the best student at St Patrick high school. He plays everything, but he isn't the best athlete.

He is simply the student that was chosen by his peers to represent them at graduation. Debogorski won hands down.

High school can be a savage game of exclude and conquer, with cliques dominating the social life. That just isn't the way Debogorski operates.

"I'm the guy that knows everybody," said Debogorski. "I've lived my whole life in Yellowknife and when I see a new face, I don't ignore them, I say hello."

"I've known him since he was a little boy and he is a part of every single group," said Garth Brasseur, one of Debogorski's teachers.

Debogorski was the only student at St. Pat's on Victoria Day. He came in to get ready for the big speech.

Everyone else was at home, relaxing after their class retreat. The grad class got together at Prelude Lake for a weekend of bonding.

"We got to know our grad class and we stayed up all night without booze. We had a great time without any illegal substances," said Debogorski.

For two years running, Debogorski was named the "Best Actor" during the school's annual film festival.

This year's feature was called "Dom's New Groove," where he learns how to dance to impress a girl.

Nerves

Dancing on film for his classmates' enjoyment doesn't rattle him. Speaking in front of a crowd could.

"I'm nervous and pumped at the same time," confides Debogorski about his big speech. "I'm nervous to speak but pumped to represent my class."

"I've never (spoken in front of a crowd), well, once maybe in elementary school. I'm not really familiar with it."

For the speech, Debogorski guarantees one thing. "There will be something funny, that's for sure. It's going to be serious too," said Debogorski.

Debogorski will be back at St. Pat's next year. "I'm coming back to upgrade, to get more courses, for college or university."

He hopes to study a trade or build on his ability in math.