In my household, the antidote to graduating in six weeks is revisiting Degrassi: The Next Generation. Unbearably Canadian and quintessentially teen, Degrassi is a must-watch, and is even getting an HBO Max reboot soon.
As more and more people ask me what’s in my future, I’d much rather contemplate where I think our beloved characters would be in 2022—so come with me on that journey.
Paige Michalchuk, class of 2006
Last we left Paige, she was dropping out of Banting University—Degrassi’s early version of Queen’s—and trying her hardest to make it in Hollywood. She also made an appearance in Degrassi: Next Class, looking more like a ‘hottie’ than ever.
With her millennial beach waves, iconic bitchiness, and relentless desire for fame, Paige is definitely an Instagram influencer. On her social media pages, you’ll find Paige lying on the beach to multivitamins that don’t work.
Jimmy Brooks, class of 2007
Jimmy is happily married to Trina. While he didn’t go to university upon graduating, he returned to higher education. He attended a college in Toronto while working part-time in the city’s Parks and Recreation department, and now runs sports programming for children with disabilities.
He often gets told he looks exactly like a rapper from the 6ix, though he insists he shares no resemblance with The Weeknd.
Danny Van Zandt, class of 2008
Danny—a freaking Cornell University graduate—got his degree in Human Development and Family Studies. He spends his days helping New York families youth involved in gang violence, and he’s got a picture of J.T. Yorke sitting on his desk to remind him why.
Every once in a while he gets together with his old band the Stüdz.
Chantay Black, class of 2011
Degrassi’s resident gossip queen, Chantay went to Ryerson University for journalism after she graduated. She’s freelancing for Canadian newspapers now and is a regular columnist for big names like The Star and The Globe and Mail. Her think pieces are surprisingly insightful, and she also loves writing about celebrity drama for Narcity.
Katie Matlin & Jake Martin, class of 2013
Though Katie went to Stanford University, she and Jake found their way back to each other after Katie’s graduation. They’re in a common-law marriage and live in a studio apartment in downtown Toronto with exposed brick walls.
Katie holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Kinesiology and works as a fitness consultant with Toronto FC. Jake travels across Ontario for his work in forestry, has ties with a few environmentalist collectives in the city, and only gets high occasionally.
Imogen Moreno, class of 2014
An OCAD graduate, Imogen is as weird and wonderful as ever. While she broke things off with Jack Jones during her first semester in university, she had a ton of fun living her best single life while attending university in Toronto.
Now, you can’t pin her down. One week she’s in New York with Fiona Coyne ing a bizarre artist collective, and the next she’s in Vancouver trying and failing to get her boating license. Wherever she is, she’s creating art and bringing joy to people.
Grace Cardinal & Jonah Haak, class of 2016
Since Grace went to Ryerson and Jonah’s at the University of Toronto—leaving them in the same city—this couple stayed together post-graduation. They still jam together, FaceTiming Maya Matlin to in whenever they can.
Both Grace and Jonah are freelancers, with Grace making totally-legal websites and Jonah songwriting at Peter Stone’s studio. They travel as much as they can, slowly crossing items off Grace’s bucket list.
Hunter Hollingsworth, class of 2017
With his dad as the mayor and a very deep trust fund, Hunter has stayed out of prison for the multiple federal crimes he’s committed. He went to Queen’s for Computer Science. After being forced to take a few trainings in racial sensitivity and anti-oppression, he’s trying to be better.
Unfortunately, Yael Baron still won’t return his texts, and he does get canceled a few times as a gaming YouTuber for misogynist remarks. Miles Hollingsworth III is trying his best to keep him in check, but Hunter still refuses to cut his hair.
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