Standing up here I feel like I could regale you all day long with stories of our first days of school right up to yesterday’s classes, but as entertaining as that may be, the role of a valedictorian is not to entertain but to inspire.

“Inspiration and genius–one and the same,” said Victor Hugo.

So I have to say we’re pretty proud to be filing such a role. But enough about our genius, I’ll just say that we have many fond memories from Parkland and from schools across the globe, and I believe that I can speak for the entire grad class in saying that we feel extremely privileged to have attended such a multi-cultural high school. It has truly been an amazing opportunity to see a window into what high school is like abroad.

There is one thing, however, that does not change across any background, culture, religion, or upbringing, and that is the way that we feel today, the way that we feel about graduation. It is undoubtedly a mixture of emotions, each of us not sure whether to feel proud or regretful, sad or happy, whether to reminisce on times gone by, or to focus on what our futures may hold.

Over the past few months I have heard an increasing number of nostalgic stories flying around the school, but these stories have come as a great relief in their contrast to the rather repetitive question of ‘so what are your plans for next year?’

As has been said many times, graduation is not an ending point, but the beginning of out adult lives, a bit of a scary prospect. But now is the time when we need to simply jump in with both feet and hope for the best. This being said, we cannot dismiss our pasts, as they are what have made us who we are. It is those who we have been associated with who have helped to define us, they are our families, our friends and our teachers. Filling the seats in the auditorium today are those who have seen us during both desperate times, and moments when success and fortune have brought on a flood of confidence. Despite this address being on behalf of the grad class, we would like to say a few words to our peers. Grads please take a second to think about those loved ones who have come out to share this moment with you today; we have loved these individuals with our whole hearts, some have hurt us, while others have helped us in our individual pursuits. Although we will continue in our lives to meet countless others, there are moments that will never leave this room, and there are people here who will know us like no one else ever will. These are the people that we can look to for guidance as we enter a new stage of life. There will undoubtedly be moments in our futures which will be just as unforgettable as the pasts which we have shared, and although what exactly our futures may hold is unknown, we can plan now to make the most of them. Each one of us needs not achieve fame, but we can strive to find fulfillment in our own lives.

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation,” said Robert F. Kennedy

This generation is fortunate enough to be graduating in a time of technological advancement, a time when “google” is in the dictionary. We have an entirely new realm of careers to enter into. We can now seek professions in: biotechnology, e-business and e-marketing, computer game design, and nanotechnology. Some of us will continue on to succeed in careers we have dreamed of since we were young.

There are those of us that will keep that dream alive, becoming doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, marine biologists, and some of us want to be famous, want to be stars, want to be in movies, others would like to see the world, drive nice cars, or would like to have groupies. But no matter what we make of our lives, we cannot hope for anything more than personal success.

Success can be found within ourselves, simply with the achievement of our own individual goals. Unfortunately, though, we are entering a time of economic turmoil. However, by making the right choices, and by learning and understanding investments, it is possible for us to prosper as we enter the “real world”.

For example, if you had purchased $1000 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth only $49.00 today. With Enron, you would have $16.50. With WorldCom, less than $5.00 would remain. If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock, you would now have only $49.00. But, if you had purchased $1000 worth of red wine one year ago, drank the wine, and refunded the bottles, you would now have $214.00. Based on this, the best current investment is in recycling. At this point, we would like once more to address the grads. It is our hope that upon the day of our 10-year reunion, we will be able to recognize an abundance of growth in each and every one of you. We hope that you will be able to show us the values and characteristics that are embedded in you, and give you the unique distinction that you have today.

As the ceremony concludes, we will each step in separate directions, where we will continue to mature and transform ourselves. The memories of our time at Parkland will begin to blend together, but whatever path is set out for our lives, we will still have this moment, this pinpoint in time, as something that will remain with us throughout our futures, no matter what they may hold.

It is a part of us, and although some of us may walk out of this theatre and lose association with one another, this day, this hour, and this second is something uniform inside each and every one of us, and something that will never leave our hearts. We have laughed, and we have cried. We have forgiven, but we haven't forgotten. We have felt love, and we have felt pain. We have made mistakes, and we have learned from them. We have won some, and we have lost some. We have made new friends, and we have drifted apart from old ones. We have been accepted, and we have been rejected. We have fought, and we have made up. We have hurt, and we have healed.

Many of us entered Parkland for the first time four years ago as worried grade nines, and each year we were joined by a few “new kids,” but one way or another we have all navigated through the complicated web that is high school. We must now work as a whole to better the world which we will enter into.

Every day from here on in must be given an open-minded outlook, one that will allow us to see past our differences and into our capability as a whole. There is no denying that the time spent at Parkland by each of the 180 young adults who sit behind us has contributed to mature development. We can embrace this growth as an entirety, as it is what will provide us with the confidence that we need to enter into the next stage of life. We are Parkland Secondary School’s graduating class of 2009, and to all of you we say, chu hu, omadetto, chu ka hey, and congratulations.