Medicine Hat High School co-valedictorians Malak Ali and Kaedan Buckler pose for a photo inside the school's science wing.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
This year in a rare occurrence, two students with matching GPAs at Medicine Hat High School have been named this year’s valedictorian.
Malak Ali
Malak Ali was excited when she received the news that she was this year’s co-valedictorian at Medicine Hat High School and thought about all the people who have helped her along the way.
“It’s so good to show them that the hard work paid off and they’ve helped me so much,” says Ali. “And my family, of course, was very happy. We had a cake.”
Ali is planning to study engineering at the University of British Columbia this fall and plans to focus on computer or biomedical engineering.
Ali has had a love for math and science since elementary school but it wasn’t until she was in Grade 9 she started to dream about impacting people positively through engineering.
“I thought that engineering, especially things like computer engineering or biomedical engineering, are the things that are going to forge the future and help people the most,” says Ali
Helping people is a passion for Ali, who spends her extra-circular time volunteering at the Saamis Immigration Services Association helping children adapt after they move to Canada.
Ali is also part of a youth club that works on projects to help the environment and she is part of the high school’s Muslim Student Alliance.
“When I go to Vancouver it’s going to be new, but especially in my first year, I’m going to try joining a lot of new things and see if I can participate in any research opportunities at the university.”
Ali says her biggest inspiration comes from her parents and the support they provided to encourage her to learn.
“My dad has always said that education is one of the most important things because it’s something that no one can take away from you,” says Ali. “I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help and their support.”
Kaedan Buckler
Kaedan Buckler says he wants to be on the forefront of AI technology and will be studying computer sciences at the University of Calgary this fall.
Buckler says he found his spark for computers when he was in junior high school and helped fix them at Dr. Roy Wilson Learning Centre and helped design the school’s website.
“That was just a cool experience. I like to take things apart and put them back together,” says Buckler.
Buckler now aspires to start his own business that will pioneer the development of artificial intelligence while it’s still a relatively new field of computer sciences.
“It’s terrifying, making something that’s smarter than people,” explains Buckler. “But I would want to be the guy that gets his hand in there first, so I can help guide the way or at least do it the way I want to.”
Along with his studies Buckler has also landed an internship with a computer company in Calgary and will start work in the beginning of July.
Buckler also excelled on the football field and played quarterback and safety for the Medicine Hat High Hawks and was awarded the 2023 Rangeland Football Conference Commissioners Award.
Buckler says throughout his life he has always drawn inspiration from his grandfather who immigrated to B.C. from Japan with little money at the age of 18.
“He moved here with nothing. No language, nothing. And he was able to build multiple businesses and just start a life from scratch, and I get to build on that,” says Buckler.
Buckler says his parents have also provided support and motivation along the way.
“They really inspired me to push myself and they gave me extra help and extra practice and pushed me a little but further,” says Buckler. “And without them, I don’t think I would have the motivation to push as hard as I did.”
