View this post on Instagram
Hi, everyone!
Today marks a major milestone for me—I officially graduated from high school! It’s surreal to think that this day has finally come. Over the years, I’ve experienced so much—countless lessons, unforgettable memories with friends, and connections with some truly amazing people.
Fun fact: Did you know that my high school, Cité-des-Jeunes, was founded during Quebec’s Quiet Revolution back in the ’60s? It’s true! Our school has its own pool, ice skating arena, and a sprawling campus that, to this day, remains the largest in the province in terms of land. Pretty cool, right?
Now, here’s something I’m really proud of: I had the privilege of serving on our student council for two years, and in my final year, I was elected President. I also contributed to the school’s Governing Board. It was such a rewarding experience, and I’m proud to have my name associated with some of the projects we accomplished!
One of the highlights of my high school journey was receiving the “Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Youth,” presented to me personally by the Honourable J. Michel Doyon, Quebec’s Lieutenant Governor. It was an incredible honor, one that I’ll always cherish. I also received the “MP Bursary for Excellence in Involvement and Leadership” from Peter Schiefke, a Member of Parliament and our Vaudreuil-Soulanges representative. These awards mean a lot to me, and I’m deeply grateful for them.
And last but not least, I had the honor of delivering the graduation speech! With so many graduates, the ceremony was split into groups, so my speech was recorded and shared with each group via video. If you’re curious to hear it, you can click the link below to watch it on YouTube, or just scroll down to read the transcript!
♥︎♥︎♥︎
VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH – ENGLISH VERSION
“Dear headmaster Genovesi, faculty members, fellow students, families, and friends. Welcome! I never thought this day would come. We prayed for its quick delivery, and crossed days off our calendars — Counted hours, minutes, and seconds, and now that it’s here, I’m very sad because it means leaving friends who inspire us and teachers who have been our mentors. So many people who have shaped our lives.
I thought I would sneak away today, escaping from my speech. I wanted to tell my mom to call Mme Gingras, the secretary, to say that I’m sick, but since this is a recording, it was a bit harder to do that, haha.
So I will start by saying “We had a few glorious years!” And maybe two not that glorious. I’m referring to Covid-19. But we are here now, and we can finally take the masks off, and see the smiles behind them.
We’ve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. Nothing is permanent. We are not indefinitely stuck. We have choices. We can think new thoughts, and learn new things. We can create new habits. Remember, you are who you choose to be. No matter the difficulty, you have to try, because if you haven’t tried, you haven’t lived.
Five years of secondary school, don’t they go in a blink? I hope we all stayed here long enough to take some beautiful pictures with us that we can fondly look back onto. Look at us. Every face we see here is a memory. It may not be a perfectly perfect memory. Well… sometimes we had our ups and downs. But we’re all here together. I wish that you will all have a life one day where you can wake up one morning and say: “I’m happy and I don’t want anything more”.
It’s hard to let go, isn’t it? Life is a journey, see you in the next chapter!”
♥︎♥︎♥︎
VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH – FRENCH VERSION
“Chère Mme Genovesi, membres du personnel, camarades de classe, familles et amis. Bienvenue! Je n’ai jamais pensé que ce jour viendrait. Dernièrement, nous avons souhaité son arrivée rapide. On a compté les heures, les minutes et les secondes, et maintenant que c’est ici, je suis triste parce que cela veut dire qu’on va quitter des amis qui nous nous ont inspiré et des enseignants qui ont été nos mentors. Il y a autant de personnes qui ont sculpté nos vies!
Je pensais que je m’échapperais aujourd’hui, pour ne pas être présente à mon discours. Je voulais dire à ma mère d’appeler Mme Gingras, la secrétaire, pour lui dire que je suis malade et que je ne serais pas là… mais comme c’est un enregistrement vidéo, c’est un peu plus difficile de faire cela, haha.
Je commencerai donc par dire “Nous avons passé quelques années glorieuses!” Et peut-être deux pas si glorieuses. Je fais référence à la Covid-19. Mais nous sommes tous ici maintenant, et nous pouvons enfin enlever nos masques et voir les sourires de nos amis.
Nous nous sommes toujours définis par la capacité à surmonter l’impossible. Rien n’est éternel. Nous ne sommes pas bloqués indéfiniment. Nous avons des choix. Nous pouvons avoir de nouvelles pensées et apprendre des nouvelles choses. Nous pouvons créer d’autres habitudes. Rappelez-vous, vous êtes qui vous choisissez d’être. Peu importe la difficulté, vous devez essayer, car si vous n’avez pas essayé, vous n’avez pas vraiment vécu.
Cinq ans de secondaire, ça passé dans un clin d’œil, non? J’espère que nous sommes tous restés ici assez longtemps pour prendre avec nous de beaux souvenirs desquels nous pourrons nous rappeler avec tendresse. Regardez-vous! Chaque visage que nous voyons est un souvenir. Ce n’est peut-être pas un souvenir parfaitement parfait. Parfois nous avons eu nos hauts et nos bas. Mais nous sommes tous ici ensemble. Je souhaite que vous ayez tous une vie, un jour, où vous pourrez vous réveiller un matin et dire : “Je suis heureux et je ne veux rien de plus.”
Difficile de dire au revoir, n’est-ce pas ? La vie est un voyage dans l’inconnu. On se verra au prochain chapitre!”
