I apologize if I get a bit emotional during this speech. I would first like to welcome all of the family friends and other guests to the 2025 Tumbler Ridge Secondary School graduation we deeply appreciate your presence on this day.
I am so incredibly honored to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of my graduating class. Finding the words to sum up the high school experience in five minutes is no doubt a challenge but I’ll give it my best shot.
To my fellow graduates: well here we are on this big stage, wearing strange gowns and standing in front of an intimidatingly sized audience. We knew this day would come but I’m sure most of you are shocked it’s truly here.
We began high school as wide-eyed little grade sevens with not a clue in the world. Even though most of us are now growing into the people we aspire to be some of us still have no clue.
Through the many locker combinations and class schedules we had to memorize over the years, we still managed to make it to the finish line. We have now become the big kids looking down at these little grade sevens saying ‘Oh my gosh, we were never like that.”
To sum up the high school experience into a single metaphor would be similar to assembling IKEA furniture without the instruction manual. We came into this process knowing what the end goal was but having no idea how to get there. There were moments we thought we had a couple extra pieces left over or were worried the whole thing might collapse but here we are, standing before you with only a couple screws loose.
As much as I could go on about the good old days of high school I would also like to take a moment to recognize the people who got us here. This is just as much their day as it is ours, so to our teachers and faculty of Tumbler Ridge, you have been with us through every step of this journey and have provided a strong foundation for our learning. You are the ones who we have looked up to these past five years as not only educators but also mentors, guiding us with immense patience and preparing us for what’s to come. You dealt with endless anxiety-filled ‘will this be on the test?’ questions and answered our every worry, and with unwavering faith and guidance have pushed us to become not only excellent students but members of society, lighting a fire under us just when we needed it. You saw potential in us even when we doubt ourselves and for that we are eternally grateful…even if we’re too stubborn to admit it.
To our parents and families we thank you for the love and support you’ve provided us during the many ups and downs of being a high school student. You have been the backbone of this journey, consistently cheering on our victories and comforting us in our defeats. No matter how many times we lost sight of the path you picked us back up and walked us through it your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed.
Looking at all the graduates behind me, the parents and family in this crowd should take pride in the accomplished young adults standing before you. You did good.
Lastly to my fellow graduates: we finally did it. We have been with each other through all the laughter and tears, learning not only from our textbooks but also from each other. It has been truly rewarding to have grown up with all of you and witnessed us become the people we are today. As we move forward let us not forget the countless memories made in this school and carry these moments with us for they are the true essence of high school.
Moving on to this new chapter of our lives—whether it’s going to university, taking a gap year, or jumping straight into the workforce—don’t lose sight of who you’ve grown to be. High school is a transformative experience where you get to understand yourself better than you ever have before, and no matter how difficult life may get in the future stay true to yourself. I have no doubt all of you have the perseverance to keep going. Your life is meant to be lived. Don’t let a little bump in the road break you down.
And remember: if we can survive a two am last minute study session we can survive anything.
I leave you with one parting piece of wisdom: enjoy this day to the fullest. As sad as an ending can be, it also means the start of a new beginning and in this case you’re starting your journey into adulthood. As scary as that can be, don’t forget to enjoy the little things and have fun along the way life moves pretty fast if you don’t stop to look around once in a while you could miss it.
Thank you.
Link to TRSS 2025 Graduation Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/live/UBAoortc6Ak?si=snBk9dH6iB9Z8M9P
Cayda Bertrand was this year’s valedictorian, and this was her address to the 2025 grads.
As what she said falls just a little short of a full editorial, it falls on me to finish this editorial off with a few thoughts of my own.
The future is a scary place. We live in a time when what’s happening in the Middle East threatens to spill over into all out war. Even if we can find a way to avoid World War III, so-called artificial intelligence threatens to change the workforce of the future, and the job you picked out for your future might not exist in a decade (and no, I am not speaking about print journalism, thank you very much. At least, not just about print journalism….)
But the thing about the future is, every second, it becomes the present. Tick. Suddenly that second becomes the past. If we worry too much about the future, or dwell too much in the past we run the risk of missing the here and now, and it is this moment, right now, where life happens.
So, my message to the grads is this: live this moment to the fullest, as once it is past, it will never come around again.
