Oliver was awarded a Peter Kohler Scholarship for Engineering valued at $50,000 and a renewable entrance scholarship from Acadia University worth $3,500. She also took home a United Commercial Travelers Bursary, Edwin R. MacDonald Memorial Award, James Wilson Award, West Pictou Cookbook Award and BMO Financial Group Entrance Scholarship for a total value of $55,000.
Other top prize winners at NRHS include Kayla Christine Crockett, $36,700; Hayley Nicole MacDougall, $17,500; Jillian Elizabeth Martin, $13,550; Chloe Alexis MacLeod, $12,650; Karlee Lauren Carson, $12,100; Alicia Marie Aikens, $11,350; Tatum Jean McLean, $9,750; Elianna Chay McKinnon, $9,350; and Haley Dawn Graham, $9,100.
Valedictorian Reed MacDonald told his fellow graduates to enjoy the next two months because they are about to embark on new adventures without their best friends at their side.
“This is the part when graduating really starts to sink in. When you realize that you will never again spend a double free with your buddies, no more ripping around the parking lot at lunch, no more glorifying moments of beating the Gryphons,” he said. “I would say no more $6 meal deals from Dairy Queen but I’m sure we’ll all put back a few more of those in our years to come.”
It’s a time to celebrate everything that they’ve achieved over the past 13 years and to look back on the good times, he said.
“It’s also time to prepare for the future and to use what we’ve learned over the years in the real world. Not the things like Pythagorean Theorem or how to find the volume of a cylinder, but the work ethic, people skills and kindness that NRHS has instilled in all of us. These are the kind of things that we will keep with us for the rest of our lives.”
He said it’s those memories that have made him into the person he is today.
“As corny or cliché as it sounds, Northumberland was the nest that we grew up in,” he said, thanking the administrators and teachers who had a positive impact on their lives.
MacDonald expects they will find themselves missing aspects of the school, long after they are gone.
“Exercise will have to come from somewhere other than that 3:05 sprint to your car, and keeping in touch with friends won’t be as simple as gathering in the foyer at recess. I’m not saying that we’re all going to grow apart, but we are all going to start new lives and make new friends. Don’t let it scare you, that’s just what happens. High school is said to be the best years of your life, and so far it has been. But don’t let that stop you from making the years to come even better. Take what you’ve learned here at NRHS and make a positive impact on someone or something, make your family and past teachers proud. Most importantly, make yourself proud and do whatever makes you happy.”
