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William E. Hay celebrates achievement with awards night

Stettler honoured some of its best and brightest young minds last week as William E. Hay Composite High School held its annual awards night.

Stettler honoured some of its best and brightest young minds last week as William E. Hay Composite High School held its annual awards night.

The program attracted a full house to the Stettler Performing Arts Centre on Friday, Oct. 10.

Principal Norbert Baharally, who served as emcee, noted that a total of $136,000 in scholarships, bursaries and awards was presented this year to 142 recipients.

“This truly is a celebration of outstanding performances in many aspects,” said Baharally.

Staff member Dawn McKay, who was responsible for organizing much of the program, took a moment during the ceremony to recognize the sponsors and supporters who fund the awards, some of which have been presented to students for decades.

McKay herself was honoured with flowers in appreciation for her 44 years in education and for her contributions to Friday’s program.

“It’s almost a full-time job for many days in September,” McKay said of the efforts needed to organize the awards show, while Baharally credited her with helping the program run like a “well-oiled machine.”

The longest-running award — the Beulah and Lester Lohr Scholarship, which has been presented annually since 1963 — was presented by the couple’s granddaughter, Evelyn Strandquist. This year’s recipient was Brittany McKay.

Two scholarships were presented in memory of Andrew Nibourg, who died in an auto collision in June, just days after his graduation from William E. Hay.

The “Average Andrew” Scholarship was presented by student Erin Yaremcio to Justin Dadensky. The Andrew Nibourg Scholarship was presented by Mary Ann Baltimore to Corey Garbutt.

Clearview Public Schools superintendent Peter Barron and trustee Cheri Neitz were on hand to present Grade 12 honours to 30 of last year’s graduates, and Alexander Rutherford Scholarships to 31 students from the 2013-2014 class.

New scholarships sponsored by the William E. Hay class of 1964, which held a successful 50-year reunion earlier this year, were presented to Elly Bak, Cole Bailey, Meghan LaRose and Tamara Nooijen.

Graduate Jordan Bauman was announced as this year’s recipient of both the Governor General’s Medal, for the highest academic average, and the Vera Hansen Scholarship. Bauman is currently enrolled at the Donald School of Business at Red Deer College.

A full list of awards and recipients will be published in an upcoming issue of the Stettler Independent.