PATRICIA LAMOUREUX – HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE
Patricia Lamoureux, 73, of Sydney is receiving her high school diploma today.
(Steve Wadden – Cape Breton Post)
SYDNEY — Patricia Lamoureux is thrilled to be crossing one very big item off her bucket list.
The 73-year-old Sydney resident will receive her high school diploma today after successfully completing classes at the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board’s adult education centre over the past two years. A grandmother of three, she is the oldest of this year’s class of 42 adult high school graduates.
Lamoureux said completing Grade 12 is the realization of a longtime dream.
“I did this for me,” she said. “I always wanted to go back to school. I always wanted to graduate. It should have been at the top of my list but it was always at the bottom of my list because life got in the way. You had to work, you had to have a salary. I couldn’t quit working to go to school.”
Born and raised in Sydney, Lamoureux left school when she was 15 years old.
“I came from a big family, I was the oldest of seven. I just left school to work because money was short and we had a big family,” she said.
Lamoureux lived in Fredericton and Montreal for a few years, but has called Cape Breton home for most of her life. She has worked in a variety of fields — from waitressing, to hairdressing, to working as a medical clerk — and took several courses throughout her work life.
But a high school diploma eluded her until now.
Lamoureux said she simply more pressing priorities like work and taking care of her family made it difficult to find the time to go back to school. But two years ago, at age 71, she decided she finally had the time to dedicate to furthering her education.
“I’m a great talker but I wanted to know what I was talking about,” she said. “I wanted to learn. I had a passion for learning.”
That passion helped her overcome any challenges she faced over the past two years.
In addition to the high school curriculum, Lamoureux learned how to use a computer and gained a lot from classmates and teachers.
“The kids were great and the teachers were wonderful, absolutely wonderful, very, very helpful,” she said.
Lamoureux’s daughter, one of her three grandchildren, and a number of friends will be on hand to cheer her on today at the graduation ceremony set to take place at Sydney Academy.
And she’s not stopping with high school. Lamoureux said she plans to continue her education, noting she’s interested in studying drama and French. (Congratulations. You are an inspiration to many. GTF)
Cape Breton News 
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