There was singing and drumming in Winnipeg’s North End as supporters took part in the second annual Grad Walk down gritty Selkirk Avenue.
Lieutenant governor Anita Neville, Mayor Scott Gillingham and the principals of three high schools joined in.
Organizer Michael Redhead Champagne said it was all about showing the grads they’ve got the community behind them as they move on.
“For me as a graduate of a North End high school, I know how important and how special it is when somebody graduates from a community that has lower income and difficulty with graduations. And so, I wanted to celebrate the successes of the students here.”
One of those students who is succeeding is Desmond Bushie. He’s been part of a teacher development program called Build From Within.
Bushie will eventually graduate with an Education Assistant diploma, Bachelor of Arts, and finish with a Bachelor of Education Degree. He said the community support is important.
“Most of our parents-there’s a good chance most of them haven’t graduated so it’s a first step in tryna’ break a cycle to try to create a better life for the people in this area,” Bushie said.
“So knowing that with walking through the streets here and having everyone to cheer us on lets us know we’re doing something worthwhile.”
The grad walk ended with a barbecue for the grads and their families. Proud mom Vanessa Assiniboine will see daughter graduate Wednesday. She said students in the North End have a lot of barriers to overcome to get to grad.
“There’s a lot of challenges out there for people especially in low-income areas, barriers that we have to work through together as a family and individually. And, it does make us stronger too, sometimes, so you have got to have a lot of hope and spirit and that,” Assiniboine said.
For Michael Redhead Champagne, it was important to show the students what their success means for the community with this grad walk.
“I think what I wanted the graduates to know, is that when they graduate from high school, they are succeeding and they are winning, but it’s not a victory just for them, it’s a victory that their entire family feels,” he said.
