After a tumultuous year which saw their school closed for nine weeks due to a mould crisis, 117 graduates from CedarBridge Academy were praised yesterday for their perseverance.

Valedictorian Vanessa Paulos commended the graduates for overcoming the mould crisis, bomb threats and numerous fire alarms throughout the past few school years to accept their diplomas. She said: “We have been relocated and disrupted, but we still managed to be here today — I guess you could say, it has prepared us for college.”

The school was closed for a near $4-million clean-up in November after potentially toxic mould was found in its buildings.

In the interim, students were relocated to various locations on the Island to continue their studies. Once back at the Prospect campus, students still had to overcome uncertainty marked by a teacher sick out and continuing debate over the environment health of the school.

107 students out of 135 students graduated with their BSC Certificates making for a graduation rate of 80 percent.

Nine other students graduated from a vocational release programme and one student met the requirements of the functional skills programme.

Out of the remaining 28 students who did not graduate with their BSC, it is expected that 17 are attending summer school. CedarBridge principal Kalmar Richards Principal Richards commended the class of 2007 for being focused and dedicated during the school’s “unusual challenges and circumstances” and often through their own personal challenges.

Sixty three of the graduates will be attending various colleges and universities, including the Bermuda College, New England Institute of Technology, Johnson and Wales University, Essex University, Georgia Southern, St. Mary’s, Dalhousie, Cambrian College and Temple University.

“Oh, the places you’ll go,” Miss Paulos read from a Dr. Suess passage, adding: “It’s about choosing the right path in a world of challenges and obstacles. You are my friends to the end and most of all you are my family forever,” she told fellow graduates.

Miss Paulos received Principal’s Honours for graduating with a GPA of higher than 3.5 and is one of many grads who plan to continue their studies at post-secondary institutions, either on the Island or abroad.

Fellow graduate John Tucker admitted that he was the first to graduate in his family. Mr. Tucker received a full scholarship to study Power Engineering at Cambrian College and will be starting in the fall. “I am proud,” he said. “My whole mindset for the past four years was to graduate — ‘I have to graduate’. Hopefully, I am not going to be the last one.”

Salutatorian and honour student Scott Kennedy, who will be heading to Temple University in September, said: “Finally, finally we have arrive at graduation. We are finally free of the infinite homework and exams (teachers) threw at us.”

He continued: “Through all this, we are still here. Realise that most people quit, but we are still standing— we are all moving on to bigger and better things. By perseverance we have all contributed to making CedarBridge one of the best schools on the Island.”

Mr. Kennedy talked to The Royal Gazette after the ceremony and again stressed the value of education for young people. “Make sure you do hard work and when the awards come your way stay humble,” he advised fellow students.

Scholarship winner Seannika Smith shed tears of joy while receiving her awards, saying: “(I’m) very excited that I got something because it is hard to pay for schooling.”

Two of the CedarBridge graduates will be heading abroad with Rotary Exchange this year — Ebony Brockington and Donn Foggo — while Shikira Jones, Travante Saunders and Tamesha Wolffe are off to projects in Namibia and Malaysia with Raleigh International.

Rotary recipient Miss Brockington graduated with honours. She said she is excited about heading to Germany with the organisation.

“I leave on Cup Match and I am ready to go, ready to learn the culture and learn the language,” she said.

Mrs. Richards told the gathered parents and friends she was “pleased” with range of careers being pursued, which include, information technology, finance, accounting, culinary arts and civil engineering.

Ever the teacher, she added: “It is gratifying to know that should I have any need, I should be able to find a CBA graduate in that position and if a CBA student is in that position, I can trust that individual to get things done with excellence.”

Proud moment after CedarBridge’s tough year