Peepeekisis recognizes high school grads along main road
- Jeanelle Mandes | August 25, 2020
Every time people drive or walk through the main road on the Peepeekisis First Nation, they will see photos of this year’s graduates from the Peepeekisis Pesakastew School.
Tessa Desnomie is amongst 11 graduates at her school. Her graduating class won’t be joining in on the social distancing graduation celebrations this month but they will celebrate their special day in August. In the meantime, The Peepeekisis Pesakastew School found a unique way to honour and display their pride in this year’s graduates.
All the graduate’s photos are hung on the community’s light posts along the main road. This initiative made Desnomie feel special and recognized amongst her classmates.
“It makes me feel good when I see our grad pictures. It feels good seeing myself up there,” said Desnomie. “Our community is giving us our time to shine because we can’t have a grad right away so they put our grad pictures up.”
Desnomie said she is going to miss seeing her friends every day and playing high school volleyball and basketball. She had a particular interest in learning about physical science in her final years of high school.
“We learned about the body and how the body works,” she said. “That’s what I want to go into is Kinesiology and learning about that stuff.”
Desnomie will be starting a one-year kinesiology program online through Briercrest College in Caronport, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I am looking forward to getting a degree and to finish college and play sports at a higher level,” she said. “I want [to pursue] a career as a sports therapist.”
When asked who she looks up to as a role model in her life, Desnomie said her aunty Vera C. Tourangeau, who played softball growing up, was her biggest inspiration and motivator.
Tourangeau hopes that Desnomie continues to reach her full potential as an athlete and to obtain a higher education.
“Tessa is an amazing talented young lady who will go far in regards to accomplishing her dreams!” stated Tourangeau. “She is an all-around all-star on and off the court and ball field. What makes her the cream of the crop is because she works hard, gifted with talent and excellent team player! Tessa has the talent to play for the elite. My father- her grandfather would be so proud. I personally could not be prouder of her.”