A valedictorian’s address to the USS Class of 2024

The Uxbridge Cosmos has, in recent years, following the commencement ceremony for Uxbridge Secondary School, published the valedictorian’s speech. Here is the speech from the Class of 2024’s valedictorian, Addison Lasenby.

Hi everyone, I want to say a thank you to all the family members and friends that came today. I know that all the graduates here are extremely grateful for your support and your guidance throughout the last four years that have led up to this moment.

I think we’ve all had experience with the dreaded question, “So what do you want to do after high school?” Now for me, I think this question elicited more panic than it did to others because I felt that I couldn’t produce an answer that I thought people would want to hear.

Throughout elementary school and high school, I had always considered myself to be an academic person. Someone who took pride in their grades, and based a part of their identity off of that. I was the person who would think about a subpar grade for weeks, but would never fully appreciate a good grade because my energy was being diverted on to the next assignment. I remember my mom telling me when I was picking my courses for grade 11 to keep my options open. Meaning that, I should take at least one science, just to see how I did, and that way any subsequent decisions would be based on an actual experience rather than a false assumption that I wouldn’t perform well.

Up to that point in my highschool career, I had gotten good grades in all my subjects. So, when I unexpectedly stopped getting the grades I was accustomed to in grade 11 Functions, it felt as if my identity, and my sense of self-worth were slipping away. To me, despite what any teacher, or guidance counsellor told me, I began to think there were “good careers” worth pursuing, and “lesser careers” that weren’t as significant. I felt that this was proven by how many people seemed disappointed when I told them that I was no longer naturally good at math. This is when most people began to run through the list of their extended family who were all coincidentally astrophysicists and engineers.

I began to feel out of place in the math classroom, as tests that I struggled with, other students would seem to sail through. Many nights I would drive myself crazy asking myself why I couldn’t equally succeed in all subjects. So rather than recognizing and appreciating my talent for writing, being good at writing felt miniscule in comparison to the talents that I felt so many kids at USS had.

I think often we put ourselves into boxes thinking that there is only one way to be successful. As if happiness, and talent and intelligence can be measured by one subject, grade, or year. To link my speech to a famous quote by Einstein “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

We focus so much on what we can’t do, when really we have this huge collection of skills, and so many others that we have yet to discover. We also spend so much of our time wishing that we are different than who we are. Analyzing this proved to me that it wasn’t my own disappointment in myself, it was the perceived reactions of the people around me that made me feel like I was wrong or lacking.

Graduating high school is a huge accomplishment and has provided a solid foundation for whatever path we each choose to pursue, whether that be entering the work force right away, going on to post-secondary education, entering the trades or quite frankly taking some time off to relax or just travel the world. (Like my sister, who’s in the audience right now! Love you Ella!)

So as we look back on our time here at USS, let’s remember the many incredible experiences these past four years have brought us. Think of all the early morning practices for band, art or sports and what that taught us about commitment and discipline. How many of us learned to cook their first decent meal in hospitality class or perhaps more importantly, ate our weight in caf cookies? (I know I did!) And also how many great future leaders were nurtured and supported in Leadership Camp?

As I reflect, I know that our USS experience has made each one of us better versions of ourselves. We are smarter, more curious and more open to what the future may hold than when we all first started as terrified grade nines.

As we pursue our future endeavours, I hope we will continue to be kind and compassionate, not only to others but to ourselves as well. I hope you all know that you are worth more than your academic accomplishments. You are worth more than the outcome of the exams you just wrote. And you are worth more than the pathway you decide to pursue. It is this compassion for ourselves and others that will allow us to savour the many victories that await us and support us through the inevitable challenges to come.

My wish for all of us is that we each find our own measure of success and definition of what happiness means. I am so proud of each of you.

Congratulations Class of 2024, you’ve officially graduated! Go Tigers!