SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Certificates, diplomas and degrees were met with tears, laughter, cheers at the Explorer Hotel on Saturday during the 2011 Aurora College convocation.

Kristin Tarrant, left, Vanessa Vandewater and Ashley Woytuik, classmates and friends, wait to be awarded their Bachelor of Science in Nursing, during an Aurora College convocation on Saturday at the Explorer Hotel. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo Graduates from Yellowknife: Business Administration Certificate: Dyan Bergen, Kyle Bird, Han Doan, Joshua Gagnon, Cassandra Parrell. Business Administration Diploma: Inga Beers, Nichelle Hernblad, Arisa Komi, Marie-Louise Laberge, Warren Mpofu, Victoria Ollerhead, Sandrina Trailovic, Tuan Tran Cerificate in Adult Education: Karen Willy Personal Support Worker Certificate: Chona Asombrado, Victoria Bailey, Moslima Begum, Allen Besarra, Shannon Hebert, Tsz Yin Lau, Jeffrey Lindaya, Hiroko Matsuo, Thubelihle Nyoni, Lisa Renomeron, Xue Qin Wang Social Work Diploma - University of Regina Certificate: Amanda Anthony, Stephanie Heidl, Christine King, Bianca Kotchea, Savanna McKay-Larocque, Elizabeth Purchase, Pamela Weeks-Beaton Bachelor of Science in Nursing - University of Victoria at Aurora College: Hawna Cooper, Ashley Crump, Natalie Decker, Samantha Digness, Mohamad El Hariri, Gwen Hysert, Brittany Jones, Brittany Marceau, Soura Munroe-Rosen, Leanne Niziol, Frances Sinclair, Kristin Tarrant, Vanessa Vandewater, Ashley Woytuik Master of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care Stream - Dalhousie University: Carla Skauge

Over 200 people came out to watch 63 graduates from Yellowknife and around the NWT celebrate the completion of their college studies.

In addition to the trials and struggles students face through years of formal education, the class valedictorian had overcome tragedy seven years ago when her husband's death left her to raise four children on her own. She graduated with a diploma in social work, and as an older student she was embraced by the younger students in her class.

"The staircase at the college, is a symbol of our journey. Some days, we flew up the stairs, and other days we struggled to make it up just one stair," Pamela Weeks-Beaton told the graduating class.

Kristin Tarrant, Vanessa Vandewater and Ashley Woytuik were also raising children while dealing with shift work, which were part of practicums in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

"The hardest time was during the clinical practice shiftwork. Those of us with babies had to rely on each other for support," said Vandewater.

Help from family and friends seemed to be a running theme for most graduates, including Christine King, a graduate in the social work diploma program.

"It was hard – student financial assistance went to (paying for) daycare for my two sons. Thank god for my parents. They babsat my kids for free while I worked nights. They are the biggest support system," she said.

King said the best part of the program, to her, was the instruction of amazing instructors who were very passionate about what they do. She is already reaping the rewards of her education; she is starting a new job at the Yellowknife Parole Office this week.

The four graduates of a recently-added college degree program – Master of Nursing, nurse practitioner primary health care stream – which was conducted in partnership with Dalhousie University, were congratulated on completing the brand-new program by Dr. Patricia Sullivan, a professer and director of the nursing program at Dalhousie.

"All trailblazers have many problems, mostly technical, but they (the students) not only survived, they flourished," Sullivan said.

Weeks-Beaton closed her speech with a sentiment taken from Dr. Seuss.

"Don't cry because it's over, but smile because we did it," she told the graduates, many of whom were grinning from ear to ear.

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