Junior Canadian Ranger instructor leads by example

May 16 was no ordinary day for 10 Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS) students.
The students at KiHS, an online high school for students in remote First Nations communities in northern Ontario, were celebrating high school graduation. It was the fourth annual videoconference graduation ceremony that saw all 10 students presented with their diplomas, within their own community, among friends and family. The ceremony included congratulatory speeches from Goyce Kakegamic, deputy grand chief, as well as representatives from both the Ministry of Education and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. Brandon Rae of North Spirit Lake addressed the graduates as this year’s valedictorian.
What added to the celebration is that one of the students was a 44-year-old, 20-year veteran of Canada’s Armed Forces and the Junior Canadian Ranger instructor for the communities in northwestern Ontario.
Warrant Officer Mark Kendall took annual leave and took the two days to drive to Red Lake to celebrate with his classmates.
Kendall has been an instructor with the Junior Canadian Ranger Program for the past four years. He saw the need to encourage high school aged students in pursuit of their secondary school education. Mark, as the students know him, spent time at different KiHS locations while doing his duties with the Army in both Bearskin Lake and Sachigo Lake. Kendall attended classes and provided guidance and mentorship to students, many of which are Junior Canadian Rangers.
“It’s not enough to tell kids they have to go to school,” Kendall said. “I felt it important to lead by example. Finishing my education is something that I have wanted to do for the last 24 years.
“The staff at KiHS was extremely helpful and professional in helping me make this dream come true,” he added, recommending that anyone, regardless of age, is capable of finishing their schooling through KiHS.