Oh, the Places You'll Go...
Hope Curman wrote and delivered the following
as Valedictorian for the
Grad Class of 2022.
Dr. Seuss' book had been a gift from her Grade 7 teacher once upon a time,
and provided inspiration for this ND version.
Hope is attending
Douglas College this fall to pursue an Associate Degree of Science, specializing in Biology.
We wish Hope and all her fellow grads the best as they embark on new adventures.
“Congratulations! Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
in any direction you choose.”
These words ring with hope for bright futures ahead,
A future you will lead with your feet and your head.
Five years we’ve been together.
So many memories we’ve made.
I can’t believe we’ve arrived – the completion of the 12th grade.
We’ve been a great class… (Teachers often say we’re their favourite.)
All that we’ve been through, I pray we’ll always savour it.
“A brilliant genius,” Mr. Campbell would say,
A phrase that so often would brighten our day.
Or running laps while Ms. Clark would force everyone to run,
Mr. Kelly would be telling us to walk and have fun.
Or who can forget Dharm sprinting through the hall,
Or how Bio tests were such a stress for us all.
So fondly we will remember Mr. McCracken’s yoga classes,
Or how we all gathered to celebrate school masses.
“Good Morning, Jugglers!” Ms. Schapes would always speak,
As she energetically announced the Athletes of the Week.
So many fond memories we hold in our hearts,
But we will forever hold collectively the trauma of what kept us apart.
For two years we have struggled through the uncertainty that COVID imposed,
Keeping us six feet apart to stop us from getting exposed.
We lived through school closures, masks, and quarantine,
But we got through it together. Apart, but as a team.
We’ve witnessed historic protests and the discovery of children unseen.
We’ve survived atmospheric rivers, heat domes, and fires that had never before been.
We are the living history… We are the change the world needs. Don’t be a person who follows, be a person who leads. We are the Jugglers. The future is in our hands. I stand before future teachers, doctors, or singers in bands. Know, Love, Serve is the motto we were taught, So live it with pride using the God-given talents you’ve got. For it’s better to do something and fail trying to succeed Than it is to do nothing and have failure guaranteed. Because unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not. One thing we all have in common is the hours and minutes we share each day. You can choose to charge ahead, or just throw them all away. We are now completely free to live life as we choose, And my wish for you all is that you win more than you lose. May you use the voice that is specific to you, And, oh, the great places I hope you get to. At Notre Dame, we all have had so much to bring, Whether in academics, athletics, or arts, we’ve all had our thing. We have all made our unique mark in this place. Now it is time to go on to new challenges we may face. I ask you to remember the bonds you have made, To go out into the world and to not be afraid. There will be ups and downs, times to cry and times to cheer, But please always remember the family you have made here. The web of connections in Notre Dame is truly one to desire Because the swimmers are in band, and the sports players are in choir. This is so special and so rare indeed, So when you go out into the world and are feeling down, Remember that blue is the colour you bleed. “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.” So be your name Stephanie, or Aidan, or Megan, or Ella, Or Niko, or Carlo, or Jada, or Bella, You're off to great places.… Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.