SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Mildred Hall School inducted the first five students and staff who are making an impact in the community into its new Wall of Fame on Friday.

From left, Emile Liske, Ben Elkin and Brendan Callas accept the first positions on Mildred Hall School's new Wall of Fame Friday. The wall, which will be updated every two months, acknowledges past and present students and staff who are an asset to the community. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Ben Elkin is currently a student at Mildred Hall and will be able to walk by the wall and see his picture and plaque alongside four others. He was recognized for his strong academics, participation in band, theatre and Ukranian dance.

"I think it's pretty cool," said Elkin. "It's exciting to be recognized by the teachers."

The wall of fame project was made possible by a $90,000 grant by the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation it won last year. The grant gives the school $27,000 worth of books for the next three years as well as $3,000 a year to complete special projects such as the wall of fame.

Assistant principal Colleen Pura said the criteria for the wall of fame includes being a person who is a positive role model in the community, who the students can relate to and look up to, who achieved personal success given their talents and challenges and is or has been a student or staff member at Mildred Hall.

"It will be a rotating wall of fame. Five new people will be honoured and added to wall of fame every two months … Over these three years we'll have honoured 55 people," she said.

Brendan Callas attended Mildred Hall from 1991 to 2000 and received a place on the wall as well Friday.

"I'm glad they’re hanging it up in the school and it's something that the students can read," said Callas.

"It shows we’re all up to different things in the community so it’s great that they can see all the different things the students are getting up to."

Callas is currently substitute teaching in Yellowknife, coaches basketball and performed musically at the Winter Olympics in 2010.

Emile Liske, who is now a student at Sir John Franklin High School after attending Mildred Hall, acquired a place on the wall of fame for his passion for Dene culture and inspiring a literacy unit around Dene handgames in the school.

Nancy Kapicki, who taught at the school for more than 30 years is on the wall of fame as well as Juno award-winning musician Leela Gilday, who attended Mildred Hall from Grades 2 to 6.

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