Good evening Trustee Sim, Assistant Superintendent Hamblett, staff, families and most importantly, fellow graduates. Today we gather to celebrate the Clearwater Secondary School grad class of 2024. First of all, congratulations to all my classmates for not only completing these 13 years of schooling but also for making it here, on time, to this commencement ceremony. For some of us, it might be the first time we didn’t need a late slip!
Grads, this ceremony marks a monumental milestone in your life. Today brings an opportunity to reflect on your past and turn your gaze toward the future. Free from the confines of school structure, you are on your own to travel the world, leap into the workforce, become a ski bum living in your parent's basement or, of course, go straight back to school. The world is indeed your oyster.
Things are going to change around you in the coming months and years as you take on new challenges, meet new people, and explore new places. While all of this is happening, it is important to remind yourself of what matters most in life to you. At the same time, challenge yourself to create serendipitous interactions, open your mind to new experiences, and embrace them when you can.
Don’t let yourself fall into a cycle of monotony; push yourself to try new things and seek new experiences outside your comfort zone. Throughout our high school years, it's been easy to build up barriers that keep us from embracing the unconventional. But now that school is behind you, make a conscious effort to break down those walls and welcome whatever comes your way.
I work as a server at the Hop 'N' Hog restaurant, and a week ago I served two people who had spontaneously met in the line while waiting for the restaurant to open. Despite there being more than enough tables for them, the two decided to eat together. It wasn’t romantically charged, nobody asked them to do it, they just did it.
It’s that type of spontaneity and openness that I think is crucial, especially with so much of our lives moving into a digital medium. It’s important to form real connections and make the things you experience in real life feel exciting and unique.
Don’t ask "why should I" do something; ask why not. Ask yourself for forgiveness, not permission. And when life gives you lemons, don't just make lemonade like everyone else; build a lemon cannon and organize a neighbourhood lemon-launching competition. Do something radically different from anything anyone else has even thought of doing. Connect with others and take every chance to learn something new or meet someone with a unique view on life. Take the freedom of graduation as an opportunity to make your life as interesting as possible, because soon enough you’re going to be too old and too cranky to do anything fun.
A lot of people say that your teenage years are the best years of your life, but I say take that as a challenge to prove them wrong. Make the next few years the most adventurous and exciting years of your life. Embrace spontaneity and just go do something.
A year from now, you probably won’t remember anything I said here; heck, I might not even remember. But if you take anything away from this speech, let it be this: dare to be different, push yourself out of your comfort zone, and never shy away from the chance to make your life as unique as possible.
Thank you.
