Passion is a powerful thing. It gives us the motivation and enthusiasm that we need, to accomplish our goals.
Good afternoon parents, teachers, staff, honoured guests, family members, community members and of course, fellow graduates.
My name is Lee Joyce, but I know some of you only know me as ‘that kid who doesn’t own a microwave’... weird, I know.
Also before we go on, can I ask that everyone refrain from using your cell phone, unless you are updating your Facebook about how great this speech is.
Grads, think for a second, about all the changes we have made in the last 12 years.
Most of us can remember being that kid in Grade 5; pants three sizes too big, Mickey Mouse T-shirt, not yet passionate about showering… maybe that was just me.
But years went by, and eventually, we traded in those pants three sizes too big for pants three sizes too small, and the Mickey Mouse T-shirt became a Mickey Avalon T-shirt, and well, I did start showering.
But changes are inevitable.
At one time or another, we were all passionate about something.
I was passionate about Pokemon. I put a heck of a lot of effort into trading these little cards. At one point, my whole life revolved around these things. Thankfully, I eventually traded that passion in... for the most part... they’re still kinda cool... But it showed me, just how much energy and focus I could put into one thing.
And now today, we’re trading in our high school life for something totally different. A life that’s 100 per cent directed by us, and our choices.
The question is, as we graduate today, where are we going to focus that energy and enthusiasm in our lives? And there are as many answers to that, as there are graduates in this room. But the answer, although it’s going to be different for every person, will shape the rest of our lives.
Never, for us graduates, will there be more options and possibilities than when we walk out of George McDougall High School today. We can literally leave this stage right now and we can do anything that we’re able to focus our passion on.
When I was chosen to be valedictorian, I was surprised, then terrified, and then I felt honoured; honoured, to be representing this graduating class. It’s in this class I have come to know some of the most truly wonderful and unique people (and I mean unique in a good way) that I feel so privileged to have spent the last few years with.
Graduating is not something to be taken lightly. It’s an accomplishment we should all feel really proud of. Twelve years. Twelve years; more than half our lives spent working towards this day.
And it’s because of our hard work, and the help of the people around us, that we are able sit here today.
Our friends, who are always there for us to lend a helping hand or raise our spirits the occasional ‘that’s what she said’ joke.
Our family, who have supported us and helped us grow into the people we are today. And of course, our teachers, who selflessly devote so much of their time on us; after class, before class, in class, weekends. We owe a great deal to the passion and direction provided by our friends, our family, and our teachers. So how about a round of applause for all these people.
Some really great memories have also come from George Mac. Our end of year water fight, which we fought in the pouring rain.
Or Mr. Weenas’ hilarious college stories, which he’s somehow always is able to relate back to physics. And who can forget Mr. Davidson’s re-occurring habit of dressing up like a woman?
Yes, there have been great times at this school. Great times made possible by great people. And even though our grad class is really diverse, it’s amazing that we can still come together and share these kinds of memories. In 15 years time, thinking back to high school, we probably won’t remember how to prove a trig identity, or know what connects the urethra to the retina. What we will remember, are the relationships, and the experiences we shared at George McDougall.
As we walk off this stage, and of out these doors, for the last time; our adult life awaits us.
No one can tell us where we should go after high school or what life path we should follow. That’s not for anyone to decide but ourselves. So good luck grads; and wherever you go, go with passion; because passion is the one thing that will keep us engaged and driven in our future.
Thank you.
