Kevin Allerston
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 01/05) - Saturday will go down as a night to remember for 93 St. Patrick students.

To Pomp and Circumstance, they entered a gym transformed by a sea of camera-wielding parents, to present themselves as the class of 2005.

Principal John Bowden flips the tassel of Rachel Menzies from left to right at the end of the St. Patrick convocation ceremony on Saturday.

The emotion of parents was obvious as they watched their sons and daughters take stage in their black and green gowns.

Louise Debogorski captured that feeling as she, holding back tears, spoke to the audience and her two graduating sons, Andrew and Dominic, thanking them for their hard work, and congratulating them on their achievement. She ended her speech with a quote from Pope John Paul II.

"You're the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Be not afraid," she said.

After his mom had finished, and scrolls had been awarded, it was her son's turn to take the stage, as Dominic Debogorski gave the valedictory address.

Central to his speech was an appreciation to the teachers who got him to this point.

"Thank you. There are not many schools where teachers are willing to give 110 per cent to help their students," Debogorski said.

And to the students he stressed the value of hard work.

"If you take the easy way out now, life will be harder later. If you work hard now, life will be easier later," he said.

After the three-hour ceremony there was a collective sigh of relief as graduates left to be with family.

"They're supposed to be adults now. I see these little babies around and I think, they were that age just a minute ago. And now they're going off on their own," said Cheryl Inward-Jones, whose son and daughter were graduating.

Her son Curtis was glad to be done school.

"After five years it's over!" said Curtis, who plans to work at a diamond mine next year before going to Vancouver to study acting.