Graduation Day for Amanda
the Bellville Intellegience

It's the morning of her high school gradua­tion, and Amanda Wilkinson is a little late getting out of bed. "That's what happens when you stay up until 2:30 (a.m.) with your friends," her father Steve says with a smile. When Amanda does step out onto the patio five minutes later, she doesn't look like she was up late. She's bright-eyed and composed, ready for one of the most important days of her life. That's saying a lot, considering the 18-year­old is the lead singer of the country trio The WiIkinsons - a group that has to its credit a U.S. No. 1 song, and won single, album, song and group of the year at the 1999 Canadian Country Music Awards.

When the family left their Trenton home for Nashville in 1996, the Wilkinsons - Amanda, dad Steve and 16-year-old Tyler - were known only to their local fans who heard them play at community events. But things have changed. The family returned to Trenton this week to attend Amanda's graduation from Trenton High School Wednesday night. She's been planning it for awhile. "This only happens once in your life. This is the time that everyone goes their separate ways," Amanda says. "I said `guys, I'm going home and don't book anything for then."' Amanda has been home-schooled by her mother, Chris, since leaving the town she grew up in. She says every time she comes home, she has to pay a visit to Trenton High and spend some time among the familiar faces.

Home is important to the Wilkinsons. They haven't been back since December, and being home this week even for a short time is relax­ing. Steve spent a day fishing, and Tyler demonstrates a water missile launcher that shoots soaking projectiles into the air. It's just a normal family scene. Amanda is just your normal graduate. 'The difference is she's been touring and hasn't had a chance to get things together. No worry - her friend Pam has collected her cap and gown. "I guess a teacher mentioned that they had ordered me one that was for someone who was 5'6", and it was like `NO!'," the petite teenager laughs. "I think they got me the micro-mini of gowns, so I should be OK. If it's too big, I'm going to look like Yoda." "You already ...," Tyler starts, and thinks better of it.

There's nothing like sibling bond­ing. Amanda wasn't worried about being treated differently when she was getting ready to receive her diploma. She says her friends have always been there for her, and she has the same relationship with them she always had. "It's all the people I grew up with. We laugh at old yearbooks, we have fun. There's always going to be people who don't understand what I do, but my friends just say `It's what you do, it's your career'. Coming from Trenton, the music business can seem like such a big foreign thing. But we've had support from friends from the beginning. After meeting some of the biggest stars in country music and performing in front of huge audiences, can a high school graduation still be exciting? Absolutely. Awards shows and things can be really fun but they get boring. Graduation is one of those things you only get once. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

She plans to keep music in her life well after high school, no matter what happens. She'd like to take a year off school, and then begin taking marketing and music business university courses in Nashville. They have a great music program. I know people who went and still go. I want to take classes, and when we're touring I can take correspondence courses. She's well aware that she sticks out in a crowd and isn't concerned about the barrage of interview and photo requests she gets. While she says fame hasn't changed her, she knows it's there and accepts it. What I do isn't normal. It's a good way to let my fans know how important this is to me, too. But mostly I'm like anyone else who's graduating. My family is so excited. Besides, its graduation. Everyone else is going to have a tons of cameras pointed at them, too. The Wilkinsons will be back in the area for two concerts in the fall. They will perform Nov. 22-23 at the Quinte Sports Centre in Belleville.