Internet high school in Ontario sees record number of grads
'I've never been so excited in my life,' says Keewatinook Internet High School grad Tristan Megan
An innovative First Nations-run high school in northwestern Ontario celebrated a record number of graduates on Wednesday.
Fourteen students graduated from Keewatinook Internet High School with their Ontario Secondary School diplomas.
The school was established in 1999 as an option for First Nations students in remote communities without traditional high schools. It allows people to maintain employment or be home with their families while completing classes online. Each community has a teacher/mentor on site, with specialist teachers from other communities connected to students online.
An emotional Tristan Megan, from Aroland First Nation, was surrounded by family members who came to his classroom in the Fort William First Nation community centre for his graduation.
"I'm just trying to hold back these tears here," the 19-year-old said. "I've never been so excited in my life, just to be able to say I'm graduating and to be able to say I did it."
Megan plans to join the military before going on to university to become a geologist. He said he would have never been able to complete his goal in a traditional high school setting.