Editor’s note: the following is an excerpt from the Charles Bloom Secondary valedictorian speech
Taylor Sheardown
For The Morning Star
As you can see our class is very small, but this is what makes us a very special class. I can honestly say that I know every single person on this stage. It feels like I have known you all forever. We have been able to form bonds and create relationships that will last a lifetime. We have all fallen down a time or two. Literally…I fell in the commons on a banana a couple weeks ago. Talk about awkward.
But it is our friends who have helped us get back up time and time again. As a class we always manage to have fun whether we are just hanging out or planning our next prank. The memories that we have made will be carried with us into our next stage of life.
During our time here we have learned many lessons. Mr. Bates taught us how to solve for x in a million different questions. Mr. Kopy taught us what the difference between a simile and a metaphor was – I think it had something to do with like and as. There were always some very entertaining lessons especially from Mr. Kozin. He taught us how to bring a spectator, AKA a wingman on a date.
However, one of the most important lessons learned was not learnt in a classroom. It was to enjoy life and your friends: to treasure the fun times and the special moments and to not get caught up in the drama. There were so many important life lessons learned in these halls and they have all helped prepare us for our future. Throughout the years we have matured and grown – well somewhat matured. And we are now ready to move forward.
Accomplish your goals and follow your dreams, but remember to enjoy each and every day because time flies by too quickly to allow even a single day to pass. Believe in yourself, in the future, and in others because if you can do that then you will be able to succeed in whatever you set your mind to. Go out and discover the world, meet new people and try new things. Allow life to take you where you need to go whether that’s all the way around the world or just down the road. Do what is right for you and don’t let others manipulate your life. Stand your ground and find something that makes you happy because if you’re doing something that makes you happy then you are guaranteed to have more fun in life.
