Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Friday, June 1, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - One high school grad can confidently say she's changed a lot in her four years of high school.

It was -45 C when Nawsheen Ukkhoy, then 13, arrived in Yellowknife from Mauritius, an island east of Madagascar.

Preparing to graduate with 83 other students at St. Patrick high school on June 1, Ukkhoy reflected on how far she's come since she got here.

"It was the first time I ever saw snow," said Ukkhoy, who arrived with her sister, mother and father, a diamond polisher. "At first we thought we should move back, but we got used to it."

Angele Beesley, Ukkhoy's French teacher, remembers "she was a very quiet student. You were able to see her total amazement with the culture, the geography."

Creole was Ukkhoy's first language, and French was her second. She had a difficult time when she started at the high school.

"Everyone was surrounding me and asking me questions, but I couldn't understand."

Ukkhoy will graduate with her class having completed her studies in French Immersion. She plans on going to Aurora College next year to get her BSc in nursing.

Ukkhoy said the one thing she'll always remember is the grad retreat the students took part in May 17 and 18.

The grad retreat follows up on a retreat most of the class attended in Grade 9. The weekend is intended to complete the journey the students made in their high school years, said Coleen McDonald, Assistant Principal.

During the retreat at Prelude Lake, each student read a letter they wrote to themselves in Grade 9.

"They see how their whole outlook on life has changed," said McDonald.

The graduation will take place in two parts. The grand march will be held starting at 9:30 p.m., followed by prom which will go on until midnight.

Grand mass will be held at St. Patrick's parish at 11 a.m. Saturday followed by convocation in the school gym at 2 p.m. Saturday night will be another night of partying for the students, with dry grad until the early hours of Sunday morning.