Jonah Berean-Dutcher, 17, attended the graduation ceremonies with fellow Bellerose International Baccalaureate classmates last weekend even though in reality he is still in Grade 11.
“It felt like my graduation because I started Grade 10 with these students. Effectively, however, my grad will be in 2013 In Norway,” Berean-Dutcher said.
In 2009/2010 Berean-Dutcher attended classes as a Rotary Exchange student in Thailand, but that schooling is not recognized in Alberta so he had to take his Grade 11 year here.
In addition, he must postpone graduation for two more years, because last Friday it was announced that Berean-Dutcher is one of eight Edmonton-area high school students awarded the $70,000 Dr. J.W. Grant MacEwan Scholarship. The award covers two years of tuition and accommodation, as well as travel expenses to attend one of the 13 United World Colleges.
Berean-Dutcher will attend Red Cross Nordic United World College in Flekke, Norway.
“Over two years he will receive an education focused around three key elements: a rigorous academic program, a locally based social responsibility program and a multi-cultural environment,” explained Lisa Glover, a spokesperson for Advanced Education and Technology Communications.
As well as being an honours student, Berean-Dutcher plays alto saxaphone in the school band, played on the Bellerose senior basketball team and worked part-time at Sobeys. He trains as a marathon runner and last month took part in St. Albert’s first marathon. This summer, before heading off to Norway, he will take part in the Sinister Seven Ultra Marathon event in Kelowna.
His year in Thailand led Berean-Dutcher to work with fellow Bellerose students this year to start a Rotary program in his high school to deal with issues such as social justice and poverty.
Berean-Dutcher was inspired to apply for the scholarship to attend a United World College because of his love of travel but also because of the opportunities to meet students from all over the world and perhaps to travel with them.
“In Norway there will be only 200 kids and 80 per cent of them are there on scholarship,” he said, adding that last year the class travelled to Lebanon to work on a project there.
Though his travel experience to Thailand and his upcoming two-year scholarship to Norway have delayed his actual graduation, Berean-Dutcher is excited about the tremendous opportunity. He is still undecided about where he will attend university in the future or even what courses he will study.
“My goal is to open as many doors as I can. But if you have a lot of doors open for yourself, that makes the decision harder. I will miss my family and my friends but this is a tremendous opportunity, and I embrace that,” he said.
