When the Grade 12s walked across the stage last month at the high school graduation ceremonies, three students had an extra hook to hang their mortarboards on.

Stacia Powell, Abbey Iverson and Rene Trombley are the first to complete the French immersion program that started in Olds 12 years ago.

"It was quite difficult being the first group because it was kinda like the odd kids out," said Powell, who is headed to Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops this fall. "But it's always helpful to have it, and I'm proud to have a bit of French in a bilingual country."

Powell thinks things will ease up for those coming after her.

"There might be a bit more acceptance from the English peers, as well as the parents, to see that it can go through and work," she said. "I think we've paved a road a bit better for them."

Olds High School French teacher Melanie Hiller credits the pioneering students for not only doing extra work – fitting in an extra core class in addition to what is already required – but also for patiently working out the kinks each year as they paved the way.

"I think they've been troopers as far as being kind of the guinea pigs in the lead group," she added. "They took a lot of those challenges on themselves, but by doing that we are able to adapt and make things better for the next group."

Vanessa Hardy was the first French immersion teacher in Olds, hired to teach the incoming group of 11 students who began kindergarten and Grade 1 in the town's first French immersion class in 2005.

She said that the initial challenge was presenting the new program to a community that had never been exposed to French immersion.

"Completely unknown, completely novel," said Hardy. "Some people really embraced it and some people didn't understand the purpose of having it."

But, she said, French immersion is about opportunity.

"It's not to ever take away from anyone else – it's just an extra opportunity that some people really feel is incredibly valuable and want their children to experience," said Hardy. "And they don't have to be in a major centre, they don't have to be the wealthiest family, to travel the world, to have these experiences. It's just another opportunity that anybody could have in Olds, Alberta."

A further challenge in the beginning, she said, was wondering whether the program would last.

"Those pioneers in the French immersion program every year, were like, how far is this going to take us, are we going to get to the end, will (the school board) support us?" said Hardy.

"They made it to Grade 12, and I think that now that they have done that, people will be less hesitant, because as a community they see that it was sustained."

Hardy said that she thinks that might be the biggest change, from a sense that the program was temporary to it becoming a permanent fixture. This year, EOES has more than 30 students signed up for Grade 1 French immersion, of an incoming class of approximately 125.

"Now it just seems commonplace as an option – that people can have French immersion – and don't even realize that it isn't (an option) for some," she said.

Whether or not French immersion students decide to make their second language a career focus isn't the point.

"The world has shown that it can change very quickly," said Hardy. "Having opportunities or experiences in a variety of things can be incredibly beneficial, because you just don't know how things are going to work out."

For now, both teachers are simply proud of the three grads, having seen the challenge through to completion.

"I'm incredibly proud of them and all that they've accomplished," said Hardy "not just for themselves, but for the other kids that are going to come up behind them."