By Jennifer Quam

Three local students from Valemount and McBride graduated from the University of Northern British Columbia this year with degrees in some fairly major areas of study.

Amy Hammerstedt, a 2003 McBride Secondary School graduate, walked away from the Prince George University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science. She was able complete her degree with a full scholarship. While in Grade 11 at the McBride high school she was awarded the UNBC Scholars Award, a scholarship awarded to the top academic student in that grade.

“I had to maintain a 3.0 grade point average of higher to maintain my scholarship, which I was able to do,” said Amy. “I have been accepted to Law School now and I will start that in the fall. I am still not sure what kind of law I want to practice.”

Amy will spend the summer in Lethbridge, Alberta working at Sportchek before she starts school again in September.

“I have a lot of good memories of McBride,” said Amy. “It was a great place to grow up.”

Adrian Edwards, a 2002 McBride Secondary School graduate completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in December. He also played for the UNBC’s hockey team while attending their school.

“I am taking the Law school admissions test on Monday even though I am not completely sure if that is the path I want to take,” said Adrian. “I am also possibly interested in getting a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences at either the Dalhousie University in Halifax or at the University of Victoria.”

Adrian said he is in McBride for a few weeks and is leaving his summer plans wide open. “The nice thing is this year I don’t have to work all summer to pay for school in September,” he said. “I would like to travel to Europe and eventually change the world; I am just not sure how I am going to do that yet.”

Audrey Nunweiller, a Valemount Secondary School graduate, completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UNBC this year.