COCHRANE— Celebrating her peers and their resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic, Keeley Isinghood has been named the Cochrane High School Class of 2021 valedictorian.
Isinghood, 18, said she was shocked when she received the phone call notifying her she had been named valedictorian in mid-May. The call from her principal came just as the high school had moved to online learning.
“I was waiting for it. we had a group of friends and a bunch of us were in the running,” Isinghood said. She explained they were all texting and sharing phone calls they had received regarding the run-up to the naming of Cochrane High valedictorian.
“When the phone rang, I was very anxious because I was waiting for it,” Isinghood said with a laugh. “It was definitely shocking, especially because there were so many great people who were in the running this year, but it was really exciting.”
Isinghood said being named valedictorian was a dream she dedicated herself to over the past year.
While it has been a challenging year given the COVID-19 pandemic, Isinghood said, her love of school and her peers has kept her motivated despite the adversity they have faced.
Isinghood described herself as a student who always keeps busy, and this drive remained in place while she was learning online.
“Even online I really just do love learning. I just wanted to get the most out of this year whatever it was,” Isinghood said. “I love being with people even if it happens to be online, putting out your best, you're going to get more out of it.”
Isinghood said all her classes have been fun and she has learned a lot from great teachers. It has been exciting to go to school to find out what each day holds in an electrifying atmosphere unique to Cochrane High School.
She has been involved in various activities at Cochrane High School, but one of her highlights has been participating in the band program as a trombone player. She later learned to play the euphonium during a stint of online learning, she said, adding she relished the opportunity to learn a new instrument. Isinghood said she is grateful to the band program because it was able to continue for the 2020-21 school year as it has been one of her favourite activities.
Isinghood is also a member of the school’s curling team who she was able to compete with in the 2019-20 school year.
Isinghood was born and raised in Bearspaw and is delighted to see what next year holds.
She has accepted an offer and is headed to The University of Waterloo in Ontario to earn a bachelor of mathematics in biostatistics.
“Math has always been my favourite subject, literally from Grade 1,” Isinghood said. “I always thought I want to make a bit of a difference in the world and that’s where biostatistics came through.”
Isinghood first learned about biostatistics in Grade 9 and how math can be applied in new ways. Her interest in the subject only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, because the data and statistics compiled about the virus illustrated the impact biostatistics can have in the world.
“I love math and it’s really about applying it to these real-world situations and doing some good,” Isinghood said.
She originally planned on visiting and touring the university in the summer of 2020 but did not have the opportunity.
“It’s a blind adventure, I’ve never been to Ontario,” Isinghood said with a chuckle. “I’m nervous, but I’m very excited.”
Two of her classes will be in-person and three will be online for her first semester. She is eager to get out to Ontario to begin the next stage of her journey and hopes to see the winter semester return to all in-person classes.
Isinghood will be delivering her valedictorian in pre-recorded speech for a virtual grad set to take place on Friday (June 18). The speech is centred on embracing resiliency and celebrating the Class of 2021.
“It’s about the journey we’ve gone through together and I think my real purpose was to see, we have had uncertainty, we have had a lot of awful moments in the past year but there has been a lot of bright spots over four years,” Isinghood said, “I hope we realize all the challenges have made us the people we are.”
