AMHERST, N.S. — Breanna Taylor knew she was going to be the valedictorian of her grad class when she was just 13.
It was one of several items she put on a bucket list she produced five years, including a trip to Miami. One of those goals became reality on Thursday when Taylor spoke to the 150-member graduating class at Amherst Regional High School.
“Five years ago, it was just some silly thing that I put on a list in fancy pens, among the company of other ridiculous statements. However, five years have gone by like what seems five minutes, and although I’ve never been to Miami and never plan to, I am up here giving a speech at graduation, a day that would seemingly never come,” said Taylor, who is doing to Dalhousie University in September to study science and then architecture. “Recently, I have been avoiding thinking about graduation because it is scary. The chapter of my life that I’ve been in the longest is closing, the chapter that has given me so many friends, that has given innumerable theme weeks, the chapter that has given me night drives with my best friends and fast food, that has given me the ability to take power naps during off periods, the chapter that has shaped me into the person standing here tonight. These years have given us all so much and it’s scary that we are leaving them.”
She said it’s OK to be scared because the way the graduating class acts when scared shows who they really are and what they are capable of. While everyone is intimidated by the future, if no one were scared they’d never act.
“It is a certainty that sometimes we will be scared, but I hope that we are all able to turn our fear into something that drives us instead of something that controls us,” she said.
As valedictorian, Taylor accepted the Valedictorian Medal. She also accepted an entrance scholarship (renewable) and another renewable scholarship to Dalhousie University totaling $36,000 along with the Taylor Samson Memorial Scholarship ($1,000), the Robert Atkinson Purdy Memorial Bursary ($1,000), the Atlantic Windows Bursary ($300) and the ARHS Scholarship Fund ($500).
Taylor said she’s going to miss not going to ARHS.
“I’m going to miss goofing off and having fun with my friends,” Taylor said. “When I first came here I was so worried I was going to get lost. Now, I couldn’t get lost in this school if I tried.”
Adrianna O’Quinn accepted the Governor General Medal, presented to the graduating student achieving the highest academic average in the final two years of high school, while also accepting an Amherst Rotary Scholarship ($1,500), Cumberland North Academy Bursary ($250), Douglas Biggs & Margaret Biggs Bursary ($500), a Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 Bursary ($1,000) and an entrance scholarship (renewable) to the University of New Brunswick totaling $32,000.
“I think I’m going to miss the familiarity of this place and the people I’ve been with for so many years,” said O’Quinn, who is going to the University of New Brunswick to study a bachelor of arts majoring in psychology.
Her goal is to enter law school.
“I’m going to miss the people and the fun we’ve had. It’s one collective memory,” O’Quinn said. “Coming to ARHS taught me how to interact with people because we do a lot of interactive work here and I’m not the most outgoing person. I get really nervous, my palms sweat and my heart races. It prepared me to interact with people.”
Rohin Minocha-McKenney, who is going to Mount Allison University in September to take cognitive science and hopes to eventually enter medical school, accepted the Queen Elizabeth II Medal, awarded annually to the graduate who has demonstrated superior achievement academically and has achieved an outstanding record of school and community involvement.
“I think the thing I’m going to miss the most is the pride in the school,” Minocha-McKenney said following graduation. “There’s a lot of pride in this school and what we’ve accomplished.”
Minocha-McKenney, who said the fact he was graduating didn’t really sink in until prom night June 25, also received the Birk’s Medal, awarded each year to a student demonstrating leadership in student affairs, while also receiving an AMBA Ronnie Elliott Memorial Bursary ($250), the Amherst Youth Town Council Bursary ($250), ARHS/EB Chandler Band/Choir Parent Assoc. Scholarship ($500), the Elizabeth J. Hewson & Helen Hewson Scholarship ($500), the Francis J. Smith Memorial Bursary ($500), the Robert Wilkes Memorial Bursary ($500) and a Mount Allison – Bell Scholarship valued at $12,00 renewable for four years (totaling $48,000) while there’s a guaranteed internship opportunity for $8,000.
“When I was in Grade 9 this was a big, scary place and now it’s like a second home,” he said. “I’m going to miss that. The biggest learn I learned at ARHS is to move toward the thing I wanted the most and to strive for it.”
Mason Carter received an entrance scholarship to the University of King’s College and a renewable $2,250 renewable scholarship totaling $9,250 as well as the Susan Taylor Scholarship ($1,000).
Carter also accepted a Terry Fox Humanitarian Award at $7,000 renewable for four years totaling $28,000. Carter was one of a handful of 694 applications to receive this national award.
Another unique award went to Quentin Knock, who received the Jordan Boyd Leadership Award and Scholarship, named in memory of the Bedford Blues’ graduate and Acadie-Bathurst Titan product who passed away suddenly at training camp in 2013.
Lt. Governor Medal Winners from Grade 11 were also recognized, including: Keira Dyck and Chloe Stubbert.
The total of awards, scholarships, bursaries and prizes at ARHS was $609,200, including $185,500 from community groups and organizations and $422,700 in university and college awards.
