Cornerstone grad a close-knit gathering

The graduation ceremony at Cornerstone Christian School in Sioux Lookout June 10 was a close personal affair with laughing, crying and sharing.
Unlike traditional high school graduation ceremonies, the Cornerstone ceremony was small with only four students and their families. The four graduates each gave a speech, along with their parents, the principal, a few teachers and their pastor.
Participants and speakers talked about the memories gathered throughout the years.
Alex Chisel, Cody Buswa, and Chris Stohl received high school diplomas and Everett Kitchekeesick received acknowledgement of his efforts. Kitchekeesick is continuing his education at Queen Elizabeth District High School next year. The graduates all live in the Sioux Lookout area.
Nate Hochstetler, principal at Cornerstone, said it was an honour to celebrate their graduation. He commended the grads for their diligence, remarking on how Chisel had written ‘done’ on his final paper.
“Your education is not done, as I’m sure you boys know,” Hochstetler said.
He said their journeys had just begun but this phase of learning was simply done. He encouraged them to embrace learning and to make a difference in the world as they continued learning.
The culmination of a lot of hard work, Stohl said graduating was the best feeling in his life. He said Cornerstone was different but it was a good education.
“It’s very personal, one-on-one,” Stohl said.
He is attending Lakehead University in Thunder Bay in the fall to receive paramedic training.
Buswa described graduating as unreal and great. He is planning to go to Confederation College next year in Thunder Bay for a general arts and science certificate.
After, he plans to move to the Toronto area for university training as an elementary teacher.
Founded in 1974, Hochstetler said Cornerstone runs a Christian-based education curriculum. Its approach to education is to meet the social, spiritual and academic needs of students. The program tailors its curriculum to students so they can work at their own pace.
Spiritually, they want students to understand what God can do in their lives.
On a social level, they create a safe place where students are not afraid to go to school. A place where there is no bullying or belittling.
Academically, they prepare students for university or college.
“We want to make sure that they’re ready to meet the academic challenges of the world,” Hochstetler said.
Desta Buswa, mother of Cody, gave each of the graduates a jar of play-doh during her speech. She said it’s a symbol of their relationship with God.
She said play-doh becomes useless when left out of the jar too long and so would the boys should their relationship with God waver.
She finished her speech by encouraging the boys to stay with Christ and they wouldn’t go wrong.
Desta said Cornerstone provided an opportunity for parents to seek an alternative education to the public school system.
Louise Chisel, mother of Alex, said although it’s a private school there aren’t any prerequisites, just the coming together of child and parent wanting a Christian education.
“The number of graduates here are small, but the parents worked together throughout the year, the students are always working together,” Louise said, adding they were like a large family.
She said it wasn’t a cold, formal education. Rather it was a combination of home, church and family providing a very personal setting.