Graduation rates of First Nations students in the Sooke School District are soaring higher than the provincial average.

For Grade 12 Belmont student, Kiya Carscadden, she always knew she would earn her diploma. It was something her parents expected of her.

This year has been challenging for her, but she has her eye on the prize. B次元官网网址淚t is tons of homework and it just piles up,B次元官网网址� said Carscadden, a member of the Songhees First Nation.

In the past four school years the graduation rates for First Nations students in the Sooke School District have jumped from 38 per cent to 73 per cent.

The number far exceeds the provincial average of 53 per cent of aboriginal students receiving diplomas.

B次元官网网址淚t just keeps slowly going up,B次元官网网址� said Kathleen King-Hunt, district principal of aboriginal education for SD 62.

Beecher Bay band member, Dahlila Charlie, 17, will also receive a diploma in June. She is the second person in her family to earn the recognition.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a lot of hard work, but I am happy,B次元官网网址� Charlie said adding she loves studying art and writing.

For Charlie she has seen one of her sisters drop out of school and has now returned in hopes of earning a diploma as well.

B次元官网网址淢y sister always tells me itB次元官网网址檚 better to get it done now, than doing it later,B次元官网网址� Charlie said.

In 2009 SD 62 implemented the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement. In the agreement all steak holders in SD 62 including staff, principals, teachers, trustees and administration all agreed to help improve the support of aboriginal students.

SD 62 is bringing in aboriginal role models into the classrooms and stocking book shelves with books written by aboriginal authors.

B次元官网网址淎 teacher will say B次元官网网址業 have a unit on history IB次元官网网址檇 like to have an aboriginal poet or someone linked to treaties come to my class,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� King-Hunt said adding most of the requests are fulfilled. B次元官网网址淥ver time we have been getting more and more requests.B次元官网网址�

By incorporating more aboriginal people and issues into the schools, the graduation rates have been consistently increasing.

The school district has added aboriginal components into schools from kindergarten to Grade 12, all with the goal of increasing the graduation rate, King-Hunt said.

B次元官网网址淗aving these relationships always increase our (grad) numbers,B次元官网网址� King Hunt said.

This year there are 83 aboriginal students at Belmont set to graduate, the year before 51 students graduated.

B次元官网网址淣ext year we are going to have an even larger group graduate,B次元官网网址� King-Hunt said adding the goal is to get the aboriginal students graduation rate is on par with the non-native graduation rate. This year the non-native rate is 76 per cent in SD 62.

For Grade 12 student Zach Logan, earning a high school diploma something his family expects of him, and he is well on his way to making that happen.

B次元官网网址淎boriginal families have a very high expectation with their children and education,B次元官网网址� King-Hunt said.

Logan is a member of the Ditidaht First Nation and wants to find a career in concept art.

B次元官网网址淚 am excited to get out of school, but I will just go right back to school probably,B次元官网网址� Logan said citing the option of post secondary.

Logan, Charlie and Carscadden are looking into options for post-secondary education, but are unsure what they want to pursue.

B次元官网网址淚 really like auto mechanics but I also kind of want to be a cop,B次元官网网址� Carscadden said.