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IQALUIT - Future elementary students of newly-graduated teacher Mary Anne Issakiark can expect to speak a lot of Inuktitut as the mother of three, grandmother and self-described workaholic graduated with her teaching degree at the Cadet Hall in Iqaluit on June 3.

Ellen Ell-Natakok, left, Brenda Qiyuk, Morty Alooloo and Mary Anne Issakiark received their Nunavut Teacher Education degrees from the University of Regina on June 3. Alooloo was the valedictorian. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

She is one of nine teaching, nursing and computer systems technician graduates who received their degrees during the spring convocation of Nunavut Arctic College's Nunatta Campus.

Issakiark is headed to Rankin Inlet's Leo Ussak School to teach kindergarten to Grade 4 classes.

"We'll be speaking lots of Inuktitut," she said.

She said she was ecstatic to be graduating and added one could feel the energy is the room during the ceremony.

"All of a sudden, I got shocked. Oh my God, I did it," she said. "(My family) kept saying 'you are going to get there' and there were times I was ready to quit and say 'nah, it's not for me.' But they knew I loved kids and teaching so they helped me to accomplish my goals today."

Joining her in the procession were computer systems technician graduates Roger Innualuak from Pond Inlet and Colin Kanayuk, Nuna Michael and Peter Petaulassie all from Iqaluit.

Melanie Lynch was the sole Nunavut nursing degree recipient from Dalhousie University at the spring convocation. The Iqaluit resident said it felt good to be graduating.

"I've always had an interest in nursing," she said. "I have been here 10 years and I felt there is a need for more nurses. I just figured I'd like to contribute to the North because I am going to stay here for a while and figured nursing would be a good way to give back."

Issakiark, along with Brenda Qiyuk from Baker Lake, Ellen Ell-Natakok from Coral Harbour and valedictorian Morty Alooloo from Arctic Bay received their Nunavut Teacher Education degrees from the University of Regina.

Alooloo, who will head back to Iqaluit's Nakasuk School to teach, said graduation is a great feeling.

"It means a lot to me because it really helps me to reflect the years that we spent at the Arctic College and it's been great, it's been really hard but it's worth it," she said.

She spent many evenings trying to do the assignments and meet deadlines, she added.

In her valedictorian address, she said she told her fellow graduates to continue and study whatever they dream.

"I know anything is possible when you really put your mind to it. This is not the end. There's more, a lot more degrees that we can achieve if we want to," she said. NAC President Daniel Vandermeulen said the graduates' achievements are theirs but they got there with the help of a lot of other people.

"This is a good time for people to thank friends and thank family and everyone else because we never get to where we are alone. It's always some kind of group effort. It's usually a family effort," he said.

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