Welcome, and thank you everyone for being here today. Whether you be family, friends, staff from the high school, or someone who saw an open door, and thought ‘free food,’ welcome! (We don’t turn anyone away!) But seriously, we are all here today for one reason—to celebrate the graduating class of 2023. To make the most of the moment, I would like to take the time and thank the staff of MSS for all their years of work, and support.
Thank you to the administrative staff in the office, the guidance counsellors, and our principal Mr. Wiwchar. There is a constant air of professionalism in our school that brings the students closer to adulthood and that comes from you. Thank you to the support staff including the custodians in their neverending work and the staff in the kitchen that not only makes food for us but also makes fun of us. Also thank you to the school librarian, Mrs. Roque. I know firsthand how easy and pleasant it is to have a conversation with you so thank you for your kindness.
Last, but not least, thank you to the teachers of MSS, especially for those times you went above and beyond expectations. You have always provided us with new and unique challenges, but you have also had more of a personal influence in our young lives. Like coaching sports teams, taking on extra projects or sharing your jokes and stories with us. Without any of your support our successes of today would not be possible, so one more time, thank you.
I am proud to be the voice of the graduating class of 2023, who affirm they are not the; “COVID kids” or the “computer kids”…Or the “smart kids” cough cough Luke Henien—thanks Grace Pennie for that joke. Although these names are a little catchy, especially the last one, but all fail to capture the four years of hard work and struggle that we have endured.
After all, a lot of our time together as high school students was time actually spent apart from one another. There were plenty of missed opportunities, times that parents still talk about that we didn’t have a chance to experience. Instead of BEING there with friends we made do with long phone calls. (Which is no substitute.) Instead of struggling to understand Shakespeare in English class, we struggled to understand Shakespeare at home on a laggy computer with really bad internet access. Imagine that, mom and dad. Instead of playing the drums, some of us played with big wooden spoons and a pan (the parents really loved that one). Instead of playing out in the field with teammates, our sports teams truly lost for the first time by not having the opportunities to play.
Even today I still meet Grade 12s I don’t recognize. The only thing that I recognize is their eyes, and that is not because I blinked and they grew up, it is because I am used to only seeing half of their faces…at most. Our time together was time spent apart, we didn’t get the pleasure of seeing each other every day, although we tried to make up for it this past year.
I am not saying what makes our years here unique are misfortunes, because everyone has their own misfortune. However, ours was different in that it forced us to act as isolated individuals, who were all suffering the same problem together.
So I say, take heart graduates, through our isolation we learned the importance of friendship, we learned individuality, and how we must make do on our own when the occasion demands it. Our time together spent apart was still together, we were distanced but not disconnected, we have a shared experience, a bond of a kind made from forced circumstances. I believe this will be put to use when we all go our separate ways and as individuals walk towards our goals.
I don’t know where you are all going to be in a few years, I don’t think most of you really know either! But that’s okay, because we all are our own people, who are very shortly going to be leaving home, family, and people that we grew up with. After all, our parents are going to be quick to finally kick us out of the house. The world is about to take a firm grip on us and our independence is about to be tested.
However, I know you are all eager to take matters into your own hands and meet the rest of the world head on, so maybe I will see you all in a few years for a reunion. Maybe we’ll sit together in the audience watching our kids graduate. On that note, one last congratulations to all the graduates, and one more thank you to everyone for being here today. It wouldn’t be the same without any of you.
