Kiwi Marois is this year’s finalist at Braemar School. (Submitted by Edmonton Public Schools)
When the school year ends, a graduate student has many reasons to celebrate.
Kiwi Marois, 20, is this year’s finalist at Braemar School in southeast Edmonton. The school, which is part of the Edmonton Public School System, is for pregnant teens and parents ages 13 to 20.
Graduation day earlier this month marked the first birthday of her daughter, Vitani.
“When I found out I was the finalist, I was surprised,” Marois told CBC Edmonton’s Radio Active.
“I put a lot of effort into school, but I didn’t really think I would be a finalist because of how much I went through that time.”
Marois had an unplanned pregnancy when she was in 11th grade and as a result faced adversity and school bullying.
“I was treated very differently, not just by the students, but also by the teachers,” he said.
Braemar teacher Erin MacKinnon said Marois is an exceptional person.
“She set very high goals for herself and worked very hard for two years,” MacKinnon said.
Marois was looking at the baby equipment when she found out about the Braemar school.
He enrolled the next day.
She had previously struggled with learning, but said Braemar’s teachers took longer to help her and other students.
“My grades ended up going into 35 and 50 percent honors,” he said.
Marois connected the school with other new mothers and sought guidance with her own pregnancy and parenting.
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Kiwi Marois is the finalist in his graduation class. And Kiwi will celebrate her daughter’s first birthday on graduation day. She was one of the best students at Braemar School, a school for pregnant teens and parents.
Marois became a leader within the school. He organized the spirit week, the gardening club and a graduate dinner for the students.
She said she wanted to make sure other students didn’t go through the same experiences as her before meeting Braemar.
“Whenever I found out about another student who didn’t have many friends or was new to school, I was the first to introduce myself and show them off,” he said.
He told them that being new to a school is not as scary as they might think.
MacKinnon said Marois was “there for anyone, whether staff or other students or even a stranger. She will leave everything to lend a hand to someone.
“It’s really remarkable for that.”
A natural fit
Marois said her journey as a young mother has not been without complications.
Vitani was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal disability when she was three months old.
“One of the hardest things as a new parent is telling them that your child has something you can’t control or that you can’t do anything about,” he said. “And for me, it was very hard.”
Marois said her daughter’s disability does not define her and that she wants to be “the best mother for her and the best cheerleader for her.”
He plans to enter the infirmary.
MacKinnon said it would be a natural fit.