Students across the country are preparing to graduate from high school with goals of careers and university no doubt on their minds.

Several students from PCI's French Immersion program will be graduating as well, and a couple of them caught up with PortageOnline.

Abby Reichert and Greyson Marchinko have both been in French Immersion for all of grade school, however, Abby also took Kindergarten in French.

Reichert is graduating as the Valedictorian and shares what it has taught her over the years.

"Through French, I've learned that I really like to learn languages, so French, I'm going to keep up trying to retain that. And then I've also started to learn Spanish. I just really like to learn different languages."

Reichert adds that the program has formed a unique bond between their class.

"What I really loved about the French Immersion group is we're a very tight group. We've been together for 12 years, we've had the same classes together, and it gave us experiences that we wouldn't have had in the English program. Just the learning of a new language, experiencing French music. We did a play last year, we studied a theatre piece that a few of us still listen to, to this day. It just gave us experience that we'll carry with us out of school."

Marchinko echoed Reichert's thoughts on the group.

"I've known the same people throughout my entire school career, so the bond I have with a specific group of people, it's like a sub-community in the school."

He noted that he also intends to keep up his French skills as they will be a benefit to him when he enters the workforce.

Lisa Tessier has taught in the French Immersion program at PCI for 16 years, and says her students are the highlight for her.

"I really love the fact that I get to see the same groups of students year after year and watch them grow. We have inside jokes, we establish traditions as a class, whether it's field trips, activity days at school, there's always a connection that's made with the immersion kids and their teachers."