This is a great honour to be representing the SOSS graduating class of 2015. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our parents, grandparents, guardians, coaches, support staff, administrators and a special thank you to Mrs. Andrews.
Thank you to all of the teachers – the ones that inspired us, made us work hard, showed some of us our true passions and prepared us for the future. Also thank you for the Pi Days, spirit days, letting us out of class to watch field hockey and basketball games. Thank you for the opportunities to take part in amazing drama productions. Thank you for the school trips such as the environmental studies trip to Victoria, and the amazing tall ship sailing experience.
To my class mates, we began high school only five years ago and now its time to say goodbye. It seems like yesterday that we were the grade eight students overwhelmed and frightened by the older students, trying to figure out where our next class was while remembering which block rotation it was that week. We wandered around the portables cluelessly and now here we are tonight as confident Grade 12 graduates ready to embark on the next journey in our lives. When we start the next step in our lives, whether it be furthering our education, going straight into the work force or traveling, we will temporarily step back and once again feel like the grade 8 students we were, but it will quickly pass as it did in high school.
Congratulations to everyone, we completed our high school education, and now we are one step closer to exploring all of the possibilities that the future has to offer. Living in Canada we have been offered one of the most valuable opportunities a person can be presented with: a public education. A quote by the inspirational Nelson Mandela is: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In our future lets turn our privilege of education and wealth of knowledge into becoming powerful and influential leaders in our society.
We have the luxury and freedom to explore our options and try new things. Employment-wise, we may not start in our life long careers upon graduation but we also are not stuck in the same job for forty years. Embrace this. Be a leader. A quote from the David Suzuki Foundation is: “Leadership requires courage, humility and the ability to persist despite challenges – and it can come from anyone anywhere.”
Two very important issues facing us right now are the environment and our health. We can make a difference as the future generation, whether it be in our daily lives or our career paths. Its not simply enough to try and get by in life. That doesn’t move the world forward. You must try to excel in everything you do, strive for excellence in every task, whether it be large or small. My challenge to each of you, and to myself, is to do all that you can do to reach your full potential. The future is truly in our hands so lets make positive choices to protect our environment and our health. Lets not live up to the prediction as the first generation that does not live as long as our parents.
We are the future and we have the ability and educational foundation to protect our planet and change the world for the better. Lets make it happen!