The master of ceremonies for the 2024 Alberni District Secondary School graduating class feels at home in front of a crowd.
Graduate Jaymi Hocking says the best moments of her high school career took place in Leadership class, where she gained public speaking experience and helped to organize school events like the annual Remembrance Day ceremony, the Terry Fox Run "pie-in-the-face" fundraiser and year-end assemblies.
"I always felt the most at home here," she said, speaking from one of the chairs in the Leadership classroom. "I created a close bond with [teacher Mike Roberts] and the other leadership students. I wanted to continue it on, and do one last thing before I graduate."
Hocking was also one of four Totem Spirit candidates at this year's Totem 68 basketball tournament. The role of the Totem Spirit candidates is to drum up excitement about the annual tournament in the school and throughout the broader community.
Although she didn't win the competition this year (Jace Fedirchuk was the eventual winner), Hocking says she "had a lot of fun" throughout the tournament.
"I really enjoyed the creative aspects of it," she said. "Making the posters and interacting with the crowd. It was a lot of pressure...but I had fun overall."
The ADSS graduation will be split up into three ceremonies, taking place at the school theatre on Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m. and Friday, June 28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Hocking will be the MC for all three ceremonies.
Hocking says she plans to keep things balanced between humorous and serious as she hosts the ceremonies. There will be the usual jokes about teachers and school administration, she said.
"I'll be mentioning the retiring teachers," she said. "And there will be some sappy stuff, definitely."
She gives a special shout-out to her teacher, Mike Roberts, for his guidance over the last four years of Leadership classes.
"He's always been the person I go to when I have a bad day," Hocking said.
After graduation, Hocking says she will be headed to Kelowna to attend the University of British Columbia Okanagan, where she will study English. She eventually wants to move on to study speech pathology.
As her own high school career comes to a close, Hocking has some advice for the students who will come after her: be yourself.
"Don't change who you are to fit other people's stereotypes," she said. "Do what you like, and be who you are."