Hazard work yields rewards

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A large group of grads marched to their diploma rewards at the June 19 convocation ceremonies for Albertra Vocational College-Lesser Slave Lake.

The 314 grads represented 22 academic and vocational programs offered in the five AVC campuses of Grouard, EAst Prairie Cadotte Lake, McLennan and Valleyview. The grads chose the theme We Do Not Remember Days, We Remember Moments!

Blue and purple streamers, purple balloons and white tablecloths on long tables with pink carnation centrepieces, all helped transform the Sports Palace in High Prairie from an arena into a convocation hall.

The graduates marched into the hall, past about 150 AVC staff members, family and guests, to their theme song Life is a Highway. Although most wore blue gowns and mortar-board hats, those from the Practical Nursing Program their white hats and uniforms and the six grads from the Native Clothing Design program wore the traditional clothing each made as their final project.

Dan Vandermeulen, president of AVC Lesser Slave Lake, gave the main address to the graduates.

Most of the students at AVC do not enter the college straight from high school, he said. Theycome back to school as mature students.

Once the decision to return to school is made, the students' basic needs in housing and food have to be met through financial sponsorship and savings. Without sponsorship offered through the student finance committtees and bursaries, many students could not return to school, Vanermeulen said.

"They want to improve their job opportunities," he said. "Training creates jobs."

Vandermeulen backed up his comments with statistics. In 1989, 85 per cent of Alberta students with post-secondary education were in the labor force. For those with a high school education, 72 per cent were employed and for those with a junior high school education, the employment level drops to only 37 per cent.

In 1989, the overall unemployment rate in Alberta was 7.2 per cent. But university graduates only had a 4.1 per cent unemployment rate, and college graduates 4.6 per cent.

"It's a message our graduates would like the entire community to hear," said Vandermeulen.

Jackie Kellock, student support co-ordinator, told grads while it is important they have support from profple around them, remember, "You are here because of what you did and what you accomplished.:"

Margaret Giroux, a long-time resident of Grouard, a former mission school graduate opened the awards ceremony. She told the grads coming up in the mission school systgem was not easy.

"Here's the best of luck, God Bless, and I hope your road isn't as hard as the one we travelled."