How a one-teen prom on Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula brought a community together

Breanna Bromley-Clarke may be the sole graduate of her all-grades school on Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula, but her prom helped bring many in her community together.

The 18-year-old celebrated the end of her high-school years on May 2 in a pink dress she says was inspired by the main character of the Barbie movie. Its vibrant colour shone as Bromley-Clarke delivered her valedictory address at the Mary Simms All-Grade School in Main Brook.

In some ways, her event in the community five hours drive north of Corner Brook, N.L., was similar to graduations at larger schools across the province.

During the day, photographs were taken of the young woman in her stunning dress.

She proceeded to the gym, which was fully decorated, and roughly 85 guests sat down to a delicious meal. The valedictorian’s 10-minute speech included gratitude, memories and a description of plans to attend nursing school at the Memorial University campus in Corner Brook.

Bromley-Clarke even quoted from William Shakespeare’s character Brutus from the play “Julius Caesar:” “It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves” — a line she learned while studying English in an online course offered by the provincial Education Department.

But Mayor Ian Brenton said in an interview Friday the local graduation ceremonies are major occasions for this community of about 200 people, which takes pride in each of the 16 students in the kindergarten to Grade 12 school.

“It brings the town together for a celebration of our youth and that’s an important thing,” said Brenton, who said he’s particularly proud of Bromley-Clarke, who over the past 12 years has raised about $45,000 for the Janeway children’s hospital in St. John’s, N.L.

The school’s principal, Amanda Parrill, said she finds the ceremonies honouring a single student as meaningful as gatherings at larger schools she’s known.

“It was a very personal celebration for this single graduate. Breanna actually presented flowers to the special women who attended her graduation. For example, her Mom, other family members, teachers, her diabetic nurse and dietitian, all received carnations from Breanna,” she wrote in an email on Saturday.

In an interview Friday, Bromley-Clarke described “pros and cons” to the one-person event.

“It was nice in terms of decorating (the gymnasium) as there was nobody to argue with over my choices,” she said, laughing.

However, she acknowledged missing out on some of “those popular things that people at larger schools do.”

There was no seeing the sunrise together with classmates after late-night gatherings. And there’s little point in having a “senior skip day,” when graduating students collectively miss a day of school, with no classmates to spend it with. There will be no 20-year-later reunions to recall a shared night.

But the young woman made the best of it. Together with her family she travelled to Guelph, Ont., in the summer to purchase the spectacular dress. Money was raised for the event with a yard sale and ticket sales.

She invited members of a volleyball team from another school 70 kilometres to the west, which she’d joined due to a lack of players at her own school. The colours and the theme of the decorations all fell to the graduate and her mother, Regina Bromley-Clarke, and her father, Scott Clarke.

Local businesses were well-represented at her graduation, including the convenience store owner and two hunting and guiding outfitters.

Brenton, who is an advocate for economic development in the region, said that alongside pride he feels a little sadness at the small graduations, as he realizes it signals the declining fortunes of some Northern Peninsula communities.

He said it motivates him to work harder to attract new businesses in hopes the number of children and teens might gradually rise.

“Honestly,” he said, “it makes me sad to see how small the school has grown.”

“I mean, nobody wants to see these towns dwindle and die.”

The young graduate said she doesn’t know where she will head after university, admitting it may not be back to the picturesque, small town, far from urban life.

But she won’t forget May 2, 2025, and her special night.

“I’ve always felt, and will always have, a sense of pride in my school and community, even though it’s small,” she said.

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