Green Valley School in Grunthal will bid farewell today to its graduating class of 2018. A smaller than normal class of 31 women and 19 men will receive their high school diplomas.

Garett Rekrut and Carson Bourgeois were voted Valedictorians by their peers.

"It means a lot," says Rekrut. "It's an honour from my classmates that they look up to us."

The two have decided to present their Valedictorian address around a theme derived from a famous John Denver song, "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Rekrut explains it stems from a memory at their grad retreat. While sitting around a campfire, Rekrut and Bourgeois pulled out their guitars and began playing the familiar song while the rest of their class sang along. Rekrut says it was a special moment.

"That was one good memory from that night," he says. "I think that will stick in our heads for the rest of our lives."

"One of the big topics in our speech is knowing that there's always going to be a country road to take us wherever we need to go," says Bourgeois. "Just knowing that there's going to be a place where we belong and country living has helped us become who we are today."

According to Bourgeois, this year's graduating class is a tight-knit group of friends. Though the class has some students that excel in academics, Bourgeois says overall their strength probably lies in their athletic abilities. This was evident in the numerous sports banners they came home with over the years.

Meanwhile, both Valedictorians have plans to head to university in fall; Rekrut will be taking environmental studies at University of Manitoba, while Bourgeois will be taking his prerequisites for X-ray technician while applying for RCMP. Both men say they have a lot of good memories of high school but are excited to begin the next chapter of their life.

The graduation ceremony takes place Wednesday at 4:30 pm at Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church in Steinbach.