The following was read by Councillor Kerrie Reay at the Edward Milne Community School graduation ceremony on June 4, 2016.
“Good afternoon graduates, parents and families, teachers and honoured guests.
Well graduates, you have arrived at a day that you have anxiously been waiting for. And what a day it will be with a mix of excitement and nervousness as you wait your turn to come across this stage.
Graduating from High School marks the beginning of a new time for you. The routine of getting up day-in day-out to go to school, busing, walking, gym, homework in the evenings, studying for exams and all the other day to day activities connected to going to high school, are done.
The future lies before you. There is no roadmap, there is no guide. Each of you will be able to create your own path. Some of you have been planning on attending College or University, some of you may have a job lined up and others may not know yet what you would like to do; sometimes it just takes some time to figure out what you want to do. And, sometimes you find that what you wanted to do at 18 may not be where you want to be at 20, and it’s OK to change your mind.
Because at the end of the day, you have to be happy with who you are and what you are doing. You can do anything you set your mind to do, there is no limit to where you can go, because the possibilities are endless.
And when you find yourself saying “I can’t” maybe you might want to ask yourself “why not”.
My hope for each one of you, is that you don’t forget who you are today. Today you are proud, you are excited, you have hope, and you have dreams for the future; it will be your energy that drives you, and it will be your passion that creates your success.
On behalf of Mayor Tait and all the Councillors of the District of Sooke, congratulations graduates and may your future be all you dreamed of.”