Feature Article October 10, 2001
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Sharbot
Lake High School Valedictorian Address
by Louise Dignum
Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we stand at the brink of
our future. The future is one of those funny things that, from a
distance, we look forward to, but once we reach the very edge, the
view can be a bit unnerving. Regardless of how murky or uncertain the
future may look right now, we have been prepared for it as well as
possible by parents, family, teachers, coaches and others who have
influenced our lives. To these people I wish to say thanks. You have
all played a major role in shaping who we are today, and who we will
go on to become in the future. I'm sure we were not always willing
participants, but the very fact that we are here today shows some
measure of your success. I am honoured to be standing here
representing the graduating class of 2001, especially since Ive
always enjoyed the chance to get the last word. So tonight we close a
door on one chapter of our lives and turn our attention forwards
towards the future.Ahh..
High School, it was the best of times; it was the worst of times; but
throughout it was a time where we could live our 'stressful' little
lives in a fairly sheltered way. This I did not fully appreciate until
I found out just how often the fridge really needs to be restocked. As
we now take our first few steps into the rest of our lives, either to
college, university, or the workplace, we are all undergoing the final
transition from youth to adulthood. With this vast change before us,
it tends to overshadow the large changes we have undergone in the past
four or five years. The transition from a locker-fearing 'minor niner'
to a confidant school leader was certainly no easy step, but
throughout this time of ups and downs, there were always friends here
to help you out and cheer you up. Over the past few years we got to
know at least a little about each of the people around us. Being away
from home in the last month I have met many people who were surprised
at the size of this high school, but I assured them it was one of the
things that made us special. Our small size has helped us developed
friendships which have acted as extended families. It has fostered our
own particular sense of spirit that is truly unequalled anywhere. We
have also all had the opportunity to be a part of something, from the
volleyball team to the electric car, here at Sharbot Lake.
Tonight is a final chance to collectively look back on the time we
spent here at Sharbot Lake High School. Naturally we will all go into
life with a vast store of high school memories. Remembering not only
dances, winter carnivals, and parties, but things like Mr. McVety's
skittle habit, the very unique SLHS cheerleaders, and listening to
Mrs. Allison's classes, even if you were in the class down the hall.
Many of us share memories of sports trips, and of course the boys
basketball victories. These were times that were shared with friends
through wins or losses, and I'm sure we will all carry a little bit of
Panther pride with us wherever we go.
These are the memories we will all take with us, but every bit as
important are the memories that we will leave with those who stay
behind. Most of us only go through high school once, but the teachers
and staff who work here see a new group leaving every year.
Personally, I hope that I have left my mark here - not scratched on a
desk, but engraved in the memories of those who were here at the time.
Perhaps, someday in the future the staff may catch themselves
reminiscing to a younger group of student about the time when certain
individuals, who will go unnamed, decided to re-decorate the staff
room, and re-number the school.
To fully attempt to put thousands of memories into words turned out to
be more difficult than expected. The emotional highs and lows of the
aced test, or the break-up with your boyfriend all played a huge part
of our lives in high school; often providing the substance for the
strongest friendships. All of high school cannot be conveyed in a
single speech, or even a series of speeches, and as I have sat where
you are now for the past few years I know just how uncomfortable those
plastic chairs can be. So to conclude: life is transitory, and all we
can use to really measure ourselves is by the way we act, the things
we accomplish, and what we leave behind. Recently someone gave me a
piece of advice that I wish to pass on to all of you: do not follow
where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a
trail. The future is ours to shape as we please. We write our own
destinies, each with our own unique abilities and in our own
individual way. I wish you all the best in life. We have now
reached the edge of the nest, and it is time to spread out our wings
and fly.
