Good evening parents, families, teachers and fellow graduates. We are here tonight to honor the achievements of the graduating class of 2008. My experiences with you people have been the ultimate creation of so many powerful memories which have been created during my time here. I would like to take some time to acknowledge the support and devotion you have demonstrated in the last twelve years of our lives.
First off, I would like to thank my fellow graduates. I can only think of so many ways in which to say thank you for the support, love and complete devotion to this high school experience, which has ultimately made my time here incredible. Together, we have been educated to the facts of life, from heartbreak to success, from weakness to strength. These both positive and negative happenings have been the basis for many lessons learned and stories told. Each one of you is just as unique as the other; you all have personal qualities which are incredible and should never be underestimated. You bring happiness into my life, and everyone around you. Class of 2008, I wish you all the best as you move on in life and do great things with tremendous people.
To the parents and the families, I would like to say thank you for all your support in which you have provided for us throughout high school. I do not think that any one of us could have survived this experience without the love and devotion you have exhibited along the way. You have taught us to share, apologize and learn from our mistakes. My gratitude for you is endless, because the support you gave for us was infinite. If ever underestimated by others, we were praised by you. When others let us down, you picked us up. For this, I say thank you.
I personally believe the teachers in this school are one of the main contributing factors to our success. During my Grade 12 year particularity, the diversity of their learning approaches and different personalities are what makes a class a class. For example, Mr. Kemski likes to smash two desks together to emphasize the severity of run on sentences. Mr. Hazlett cannot do simple addition to save his life. Mr. Graves likes to go for short jogs to Lacombe and back. Mrs. Setter’s makes us do yoga when we are stressed out, and Ms. Woo can some how fit fifteen pages of notes into one class. These traits and qualities have all affected my education in the most positive way. From Mrs. Henry holding our hand when we were little, to Mr. Kemski making sure we kept our hand and feet to ourselves, all of the teachers I have had throughout high school have made a difference in my life. For the wonderful commitment you have shown for the betterment of our education and our growing selves, I thank you, whole-heartedly.
I am so happy that I grew up in a small school. Everyone knows each other, and everyone knows something about one another. This makes it easy to find friends, make memories, and not worry about what others think of you. Also, it does reduce competition somewhat for major awards, cough cough, but overall, growing up in a small school gives me such a sense of social awareness, which will benefit my education further along the road. It also means that I can go on and say that I knew every person in my graduating class, and not just their name but their likes, dislikes, good traits and bad.
The friends who I have discovered here are unlike any person I am ever likely to find again. One reason being that I grew up with them, but another is that their accepting, loving and forgiving qualities are so incredibly unique. For every person who has ever had a best friend, they know that the bond you create with that person is greater than almost anything else. You regard them in the highest light and you overlook any differences and bad qualities they might possess, because they have such a beautiful personality. In high school I have found several of these people unlike anyone else.
Finally, always have a sense of humor about things. If you can laugh at yourself, you can always have fun because I believe that humor is the greatest source of happiness.
Thank you all for the support and devotion you have exhibited in the last twelve years. Congratulations Class of 2008.
Pippa Cookson Hills
Valedictorian