St. Luke's graduates defy adversity

Many students at St. Luke’s Outreach Centre are already facing adversity when stepping in the door, but a pandemic made it doubly difficult for this year’s graduates.

With virtual classes and public health restrictions around every corner, 17-year-old Teagan Ferguson not only overcame the limitations that go hand-in-hand with learning during a pandemic but managed to complete two years’ worth of high school in one.

The Blackie resident, who was selected as the grad speaker at the school’s June 24 ceremony for the 60 Okotoks, High River and Brooks graduates, attributes her success to the unwavering support of staff.

“Just being able to have the support from teachers and having teachers who want to support you made all the difference,” she said. “I’m so thankful for the teachers at St. Luke’s.”

The Chinook Rodeo Association junior barrel racing champion was enrolled in an online program through Medicine Hat when her boyfriend, fellow St. Luke’s graduate Carter Seney, convinced her to enrol at St. Luke’s in early 2020.

Sixteen months later, Ferguson and Seney crossed their tassels in the sign of graduation.

“I’m glad that my struggles led me here,” Ferguson said. “Adversity has made me stronger.”

Ferguson, who maintained an average of more than 80 per cent, plans to enrol in a horse farrier program in Oklahoma this fall.

“I have an uncle that’s a really good farrier so I will work with him when I come back,” she said.

Graduate Savannah Korthuis also overcame adversity to complete this chapter of her life. Two years ago, the 17-year-old didn’t care if she graduated, but the support of her mother and St. Luke’s staff kept her on track.

Suffering from anxiety, Korthuis transferred to St. Luke’s from Foothills Composite High School two years ago.

“The Comp was way too busy and it was just stressful,” she said. “I get overwhelmed by large groups of people.”

Like Ferguson, Korthuis had staff supporting her every step of the way, even when she wasn’t able to enter the building due to provincial COVID-19 public health restrictions.

“Miss Carter (Leah Carter, St. Luke's family school liaison worker) kept telling me that I need to get my schoolwork done in order to get into college,” she said.

Korthuis will return to St. Luke’s this fall to upgrade one of her classes, with plans to attend a pharmacy assistant program in a Calgary college.

Korthuis’ mom, Genni, said she’s proud of her daughter’s achievement.

“She’s had a huge turnaround,” she said. “Some days she didn’t want to go to school, but she would always get up. Dylan (Sinclair) and Miss Carter were amazing, they wanted to help her.”

Principal Leslie Woehleke said while the past school year has been a challenge unlike any other, the 2021 graduating class is the biggest in the school’s 14 years of operation.

“It’s quite a crew of kids that managed through it all,” she said. “I think they just adapted. We were fortunate that we were allowed to have a limited number of kids in the building during the stay-at-home order. That helped.”

Woehleke said students who enrol at St. Luke’s are often experiencing high anxiety or dealing with difficulties at home or with their peers, and attributes the success of this year’s graduates to the hard work and dedication of staff.

“My staff was so willing to do what they had to – teach from home, teach kids who are at home, teach kids who are here and welcome kids in Zoom classes even when it wasn’t stay-at-home time,” she said. “All of my staff were willing to do that and that’s a tough act. They were open to it from the start and successful with it.”