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Class of 2012 dreams of the future

Four of this year's talented crop of grads
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2012 GRADS From left to right: Jasmin Budge, Mason Protter , John Chan and Victoria Jazic. Photo by Cathryn Atkinson

High school graduation is an important crossroads in life. The class of 2012 at Whistler Secondary School (WSS) are acutely aware of this, with their prom and graduation ceremony behind them and exams about to start.

They are busy making choices: whether post-secondary education, work, or travel the choices they make now will lead to their next great adventure in life.

WSS's principal, Bev Oakley, says she expects 55 to 60 per cent of her 68 graduates this year to stay in education, much higher than the provincial average.

"Our graduating classes, as a whole, have a very strong success identity," she said.

"Our students are very solution focused in terms of knowing where they want to go and asking 'how do I get there?'"

Each 2012 graduate is asking that same exciting and scary question. Pique spoke to four WSS grads about their plans for a glimpse at all this hope and talent.

Mason Protter

Mason Protter, 18, is starting his post-secondary years at the Burnaby Mountain campus of Simon Fraser University this fall, with the aim of one day becoming a research physicist.

"My parents said I always really wanted to be a scientist of sorts, even before I started to going to school," he said.

"Apparently, I wanted to be a geologist, an astronomer — I didn't know any of these terms, but I would tell them that I wanted to study frogs or I wanted to study stars."

By the time he was in his early teens his interest had turned to physics.

"It's the language of the universe. I found it fascinating to find out about how these things work, piecing them together and finding these connections, I get a lot of meaning out of it," he says.

Mason is off to a good start, with an impressive grade average, his overall average was 86 at the start of the semester but "this should go up because I'm getting 97 in calculus."

He has had two scholarships awarded so far — one sponsored by the WSS PAC and the other from the Resort Municipality of Whistler — and is waiting to hear about a third from the Schulich Leader Scholarship.

He is mulling over his postgraduate future (in a university sense) already, and wants to take his PhD in Canada or Israel. And he knows an academic life can't be all research: "I'd probably do some professor things because I have to."

Victoria Jazic

Victoria Jazic is taking what the Brits call a "gap year" before university. The 18-year-old will work for a while and then travel with three friends to south-east Asia. The locations aren't decided yet, but she rattles off a few ideas: Bali, Cambodia...

Then she hopes to get into The University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) to study art.

"I like painting and drawing and that kind of thing," she says. "I did art all through high school, all the way up to Art 12 and I finished that last semester, so this semester I've been doing an independent art program with my art teacher, which is building your portfolio."

Along with the many Whistlerites whose work she sees in galleries and on café walls in the resort, she has found inspiration in her grandmother, Wendy Jazic, who has worked as an artist for years. She's pleased by Victoria's decision.

"I've been painting with her my whole life," Victoria says. "When I was little I would paint, draw, I'd look at her art."

But graduating has given her pause for thought.

"It's really weird thinking that I'm not coming back next year. All the other grades are doing course selections and we don't have to," she said. "Exams... then we're all just done!"

Jasmin Budge

Jasmin Budge, 17, is to be part of the party travelling in south-east Asia with Victoria.

"I went to Thailand when I was in Grade 5 but this will be a totally different experience... then I'll go to school the following September," she says.

She wants to be a writer, but is not sure what kind at this point. A program a UBCO that is half creative writing, half journalism has caught her eye.

"I want to do that so I can see which angle I like better. Right now, I just know that I really like writing, Jasmin said. "I always keep journals so I remember everything I do, and have a book of all my dreams written down."

Her parents have supported her in her ambitions.

"I definitely grew up in a creative home (her mother is a graphic designer and her father makes videos for Whistler Blackcomb)," she said. "I told them 'I think I want to do something with writing and they told me that I need to do something that I can make a career out of. With journalism you can do that."

Jasmin, like so many of her peers, is at the dream stage of the idea and finding out about it as she goes along. She hasn't tried journalism yet or ever interviewed anyone.

"But I find it interesting because it's about real life, things that are actually important."

John Chan

John introduces himself by stating his name and occupation: "My name is John Chan and I'm a tennis player."

The 18-year-old has put that straight-forward ambition into playing the sport full-time (apart from school) and has succeeded in reaching the top 10 in British Columbia. It's not surprising that he hopes to spend the next year playing pro tennis. The idea is either to train in the U.S. or to see the world while playing in tournaments.

John grew up in Whistler after his family emigrated from China about a decade ago, and began playing tennis six years ago. His abilities off the court give him academic options, too.

"Academically, I want to do physics. My goal is to be an aerospace engineer. That might change obviously, but that's what I've been wanting to do the last two years," he said.

He trains three hours on weekdays at the Whistler Racquet Club, on weekends it's three to five hours. 

John, like many emerging athletes in Whistler, has been supported by the WSS sports program and its teacher Mr. Thompson, who ensures the students stay up-to-date with school assignments.

His parents have been very supportive. "I'm taking both sides really seriously, not just tennis. I want to keep my marks up," he says.

While excited about the future he is reflective about leaving Whistler Secondary.

"Some of my friends are really sad we have to leave each other, but we're looking forward to having our new lives and stuff."