Pearl Lorentzen

Lakeside Leader

“Most of you have chosen the road less travelled,” Laura Poloz told Lakeside Outreach School grads on June 17.

Outreach offers Grade 10 to 12 students more flexibility to finish their courses than a more traditional school.

Poloz is the High Prairie School Division superintendent. She started her speech with the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. She then spoke about her own journey with education. She dropped out of high school at 17, then realized that she’d have to work very hard to survive without a high school diploma. She went back and finished enough courses to get into university.

“I know I was lucky to get back,” she said.

Poloz is grateful to all of the people who supported her journey and is sure that the Outreach students have many people who have supported them through their education. All of whom are very proud of them for finishing.

HPSD board chair Joy McGregor read ‘What Do You Do With A Chance,’ a book about learning to be brave enough to embrace the chances which come along.

Outreach principal Kris Herbert urged the graduates to do three things: “never forget the community … You’re the voice of the next generation; use it wisely… Don’t forget all the lessons and all you had to go through to get here.”