For the 118 graduating students at Summerland Secondary School, the school leaving exercises on Friday were a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.
Principal Chris Van Bergeyk said the students have already worked hard and have made a positive impression.
“The students here before you continue to impress me at every turn,” he said. “They are a group to be proud of.”
In his address to the graduates, science teacher Raja Gupta talked about the lessons which can be learned from the children’s television program Sesame Street and from renowned scientist Albert Einstein. Both have simple yet profound messages, he said.
“Try to keep learned with all that you are,” he said. “There’s a great deal of beauty and ease in simplicity.”
Valedictorians Susan Watkins and Matthew Jones looked back on their memories from elementary school and middle school to the present.
“We’ve got so much talent in us,” Jones said.
“It’s time to start living a little,” Watkins said. “It’s time to take time, to find time and to make time.”
The graduation ceremonies were also an opportunity for individuals and organizations to present scholarships and bursaries to the students.
Community organizations donated close to $85,000 to the graduating students, in addition to the bursaries and scholarships offered to students from various universities and colleges.
“The support from this community is truly amazing,” Van Bergeyk said.