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‘We are ready for the world’

LVR valedictorian Tyler Lakeman’s speech
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Tyler Lakeman was the valedictorian for Nelson’s LVR school on Friday.

LVR valedictory speech by Tyler Lakeman

Thanks to my classmates for giving me the honour of giving the valedictorian address. I would also like to thank all of the volunteers who made these grad festivities possible. It is a monumental task and their valiant efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed. I will start off on an honest note; never, in my 12 years of education, have I ever had to write or give a speech, nor have I ever presented to a crowd of this magnitude before. Please bear with me while I forge ahead into this unknown territory.

This is the day that for years we have dreamt about and always saw as a distant event. For many of us, the real road to graduation began on that first day of grade nine, four long years ago. I can vividly remember that first day. We all shuffled into the gym, sat down on the incredibly uncomfortable bleachers and listened to then-vice-principle Tim Mushumanski give a rousing speech about how grade nines were the future and how before we all knew it we would be graduating. I often look back on that day and think to myself, “Wow, Tim sure had a lot more hair when I was in grade nine.” I have now come to realize that despite his thinning hairline, Tim was right. Graduation seems so far away until all of a sudden it is here and the rest of your life is right around the corner.

These past four years would not have been the same had it not been for our incredible teachers. We here at LVR have a wide array of interesting teachers, each with their own personal flair. Whether you are in Mctague’s class, a place where five minutes is more than enough time to start yet another lesson. Or in McGregor’s class, a place where 15 minutes is more than enough time to start another highly entertaining video. Or maybe even in Kroker’s lair, a place where English is somehow enjoyable. I can’t forget to mention Ms. Quack, a teacher who dealt with my antics for three years and in that time even managed to teach me some math along the way. No matter the class, every teacher here at LVR has found a way to add spice to the classroom and make boring classes enjoyable. For that we, the graduating class of 2018, express our heartfelt thank you.

Where would we be without our parents? Our parents gave us life, a home, support and love. For some of us, our parents also gave us wonderful curly hair, chronic sarcasm and a sweet van. Our parents are the biggest supporters in our lives and for that we need to thank them. So for that, we will now do the audience participation part of this speech. When I yell “thank you,” I want all of us grads to yell “parents.” So here we go.

Time for us to get back on track after that active interlude.

Friends may come and go but the real ones will always be there through the good times and the bad. After we finish high school, we may lose contact with those we see every day; but, we must always remember that there are no strangers, only friends we have yet to meet. As we embark on this journey of life, we will need the support of our family, our friends and the new people we will meet along the way.

The past four years have been some of the most memorable times of our lives. Together as a group, we have all shared some unreal memories, such as the meteor at a bush party that was “not affiliated, endorsed or condoned by SD 8 or LV Rogers in any way shape or form,” or, perhaps the day that none of us went to class and went skating at Cottonwood instead. We will remember the stress of exams, the joy we shared when they were over and the daily rush while trying to navigate our way through hallways taken over in hordes by groups of grade nines. We won’t forget the rhythm of the daily grind or that Mr. Cross always wanted us to “use our flex time wisely.” We have all experienced this school differently. For some of us, it was where we came to learn about life’s many topics and for others, it was where we socialized. For at least one strange fellow, it was where he pawned off crummy red stools, (call 250-551-9262 if interested).

As this is a valedictorian speech, I am obligated to go on a long rant about the future so without further ado here is that segment.

Rather than discussing trivial things with my peers like the daily weather, I have instead for the past few weeks changed my go-to small talk question to “what are you doing next year?”. From this simple query, I have gathered that we have a very diverse grad class. Some of us will travel the world and explore new horizons; others will go off to university to explore their passions. Many of us are staying local and are going to Selkirk, working, or just taking time to decide where we want to take our lives from here. As young adults we often get asked about our future plans by older people. A game I like to play when I get questioned about this is to ask them what they wanted to do with their lives when they were 18. Initially, they are surprised that I asked such a power question. Shortly thereafter, they will essentially tell me their life story. It is after hearing their story that I come to realize that what they intended to do and what they ended up doing are two very different things. What I’m getting at is that you don’t need to decide the course of your life at the tender age of 18 (for some of you, 17). The world is ours to explore, but as we go forward let’s always remember the things that brought us together: the long days we spent at school, the times we shared with friends, the knowledge we gained and the crazy times we had at the “not affiliated, endorsed or condoned by SD 8 or LV Rogers in any way shape or form” events. We will dare to dream, we will dare to achieve. And when we work together, anything is possible. We are the LV Rogers graduating class of 2018 and we are ready for the world.

Tyler is planning on joining Selkirk College’s millwright program in September.