Good Evening ladies and gentlemen, my name is Thea Whelan, I am Lucas Kavanagh and as this year’s valedictorians we would like to welcome you to the first day of the rest of our lives.

We were elected to represent the entire graduating class, but we can only really speak of our personal experiences, which like most grads, were more than positive. 

When it came to writing this speech we wanted to touch on three main key stones; creativity, effort and friendship. Then we realized that those things basis for some of the most boring speeches in history. Instead, we will humbly recount our time spent at Victoria High School, and what it has meant to us. 

Now although Vic High has been a spectacular school, I personally feel cheated of a “traditional” high school experience; because at Vic High there were no cliques, no mean cheerleaders, or any of those countless horror stories. I was never pushed into a locker as a grade 9, although I may well have deserved it. I can not lie, I liked High School and will always look back on these past four years fondly, because we never really got that “typical” high school experience. 

When people discover that we are graduating, they ask us if we are ready, finally ready for the real world. The truth is we have been living in the real world; Vic High was very real to us. We have had real friends, real accomplishments and made some real mistakes. Through it all we have learned, developed and truly grown up. Vic High has allowed us to become the people we are and in turn we have left our own unique mark on this great school. From the people we have meet, the things we have done and the change we have created. No other school would have sufficed, because Victoria High School is more than a building to us, it is our niche, our chaos, our school.

We all came to Vic High for different reasons, perhaps it was close to home or all our friends were going or maybe simply because we liked it. It may have even been the cookies at the information night, which were by the way delicious. 

So, on the first day that we came to this huge school, full of people and possibilities; we just knew, felt it in our bones that we obviously made a mistake, we did not belong here and we pretty much should just jump ship and go back to middle school. Then we found our place, be it the tech building, drama room, chemistry class or dark room. Whatever our “scene” was it was not exclusive. That is what is great about this school, cliques are irrelevant. There are no bounds to friendship, we are free to be who we are and know who we know. Vic High has been more than we ever expected, it has taught us more in the past four years than any of us could have hoped and given us a place to grow. So we were wrong on that first day of school: we have always belonged here. 

For the past four years we did the high school thing, yet all good things must come to an end, a feeling immortalized by the words of Alice Cooper “school’s out for summer, school’s out forever.” However, it is not all joyful celebration and grad parties - okay so most of it is, but as it is not time for us to move on, we must say a sad goodbye to Vic High and close a significant chapter in out lives. It is surreal to think that all our work over the last thirteen years has been leading up to this night. Thinking back to my first day in kindergarten, the beginning of middle school and the first time I ever walked into that big brick building at the corner of Grant and Fernwood, I can not help but wonder, “where did all the time go?”. No longer do we automatically know what we will be doing next September or that in two months we will see everyone again; and no longer are high school movies directed at us, instead they will now bring on a sense of nostalgia as we remember “the good ol’ days”. 

But past the sadness comes an excitement, a rush of adrenalin because for the first time, for the very first time we are turning off auto pilot and taking control. We may crash and burn, we likely will, but we have been given the tools to stand back up, brush ourselves off and try again. 

With this knowledge we go into the future, with the assurance that we, the graduates of 2009 will make an impact on the world, whichever direction we choose to take. Our impact may not make the headlines but it will be there and be real. Our grad class is about to go into the world and make a difference, be it big or small.

Just graduating from high school is a tremendous personal achievement that we can all be proud of. However, we really could not have done it alone and every member of the class of 2009 has had help. This has come in the form of a parent, a teacher, or friend who has lent a hand in a time of need. It really is true that graduation is a team effort. Although we don’t show our gratitude everyday, we could not of done it without you. Even though that sounds oh so cliché. 

Now that we are here, we are faced with the big one, the mother of all questions; “What are you doing after high school?”

Truthfully, neither of us know, none of us know, we have no idea, no clue, nary a one. Because it is impossible to really know, or even attempt to fully plan for the future. There is only one thing that is certain, things change. It is flawed to make inflexible plans because nothing ever really turns out exactly the way it is supposed to. I know I thought in my graduation year I would be dating the most popular guy at school, be ridiculously good looking and drive a cherry red convertible but here I am; I am single and I have a bus pass.

The truth is that I am happier with who I am than who I wanted to be. Our futures may or may not be filled with cherry red convertibles but they will always be filled with true friendships, meaningful work, and real love. 

We are not saying that we will not achieve our dreams, because this class has taught us that living life to its fullest is not only a possibility but a realistic goal. There is one thing that I know for sure, and that is that this grad class will have many more lessons to teach the world in the very near future. So with this, we bid you adieu and say once and for all... 

Congratulations Graduates of 2009.