Behchoko valedictorian aims for teaching career
Lillian Migwi's advice to students struggling with school is to keep attending class
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Monday, June 6, 2016
BEHCHOKO/RAE EDZO
Lillian Migwi says the key to finishing high school is to make learning a priority.
Lillian Migwi graduated from Chief Jimmy Bruneau School on May 26 and her classmates chose her to be valedictorian. - photo courtesy of Robert Giroux |
"Just ignore everything around you and stick to school and stay positive," she said.
Migwi is now a graduate of Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko and was valedictorian during the graduation ceremony on May 26.
Migwi said she was excited - and nervous - after learning her classmates had chosen her to do the speech.
"I was overwhelmed," she said. "But I thought it would be a good idea to do it."
Her valedictory address focused on the positive aspects of graduating from high school, rather than the sadness of leaving it behind.
"It was uplifting and not so sad, it was cheerful," she said. "It was about how we all got through it and we're moving on to bigger and better things."
For Migwi, that means deciding where to attend post-secondary school. So far, she has been accepted to academic upgrading programs at MacEwan University and Aurora College's Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith. She was still waiting to hear from Grande Prairie Regional College as of press time.
Migwi said after she completes her academic upgrading, she plans to continue school and become a teacher. Migwi's mother is an educator and her sister works at Chief Jimmy Bruneau, so the decision came naturally.
"It was always really positive and fun every time I went in there," she said about visiting her mother's classrooms. "All the cute little kids saying 'Hi' to me and everything."
Migwi said she believes she would enjoy spending her days working at a school.
"It's just the environment of it, the energy," she said. "It just seems like a good job. Everything my mom did, I want to do."
While she hasn't decided whether she'll return to Behchoko to teach, Migwi if confident in that she is chosing the right career path.
Migwi said her advice to students aiming to graduate from high school is to attend class every day, even if it's difficult to do.
"Just keep going to class and don't let any drama get to you," she said.
