Ben House named Lindsay Thurber’s 2022 valedictorian

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House is valedictorian by way of his astounding 99.2 per cent average, top in his class.

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He will attend Red Deer Polytechnic this fall, with a degree in biological sciences the first target. Then, House says, he will transition to a larger university, with the possibility of specializing in dermatology, anesthesiology or sports medicine.

House is a recipient of the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship, and is receiving an athletic scholarship to run cross-country and track & field at RDP.

“I’ve always played as many sports as I could. I started playing hockey when I was about five. Then I had to choose between hockey and running, and other school sports,” he says. “I’ve played volleyball at school, plus club volleyball, basketball for a couple years, and right now I’m playing handball, tennis, and doing track & field. I’ve pretty much done everything.”

The 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres are his signature events in track this year, joking that he was also roped into running the 4×400 metre relay.

Outside of school, House has volunteered as a lifeguard in Castor, Alberta, and will start a paid gig there this summer before taking on studies at RDP. He’s also volunteered with swimming lessons, officiated sports matches, and played board games with residents a couple times at a local nursing home.

House says COVID has, by far, been the largest challenge for he and classmates to face, mostly because some students simply don’t learn well online.

He agrees that future employers should give members of his class some grace, due to the circumstances foisted upon students by the pandemic.

“Never say you can’t do something. I believe humans have no limits really, and if someone really wants something, they’ll find a way to attain it,” he says of his advice to fellow grads.

“Also, don’t take yourself too seriously, and don’t miss out on stuff because you were too fearful to just try. My whole life, I’ve tried new things to find new things I’m good at. I don’t think there was ever a time I backed out of something I wasn’t 100 per cent comfortable with, because sticking with it is what can make a person stronger.”

Lindsay Thurber’s approximately 400 grads will walk across the stage, and House will make his speech, on May 27.