Dear Class of 2020

With the start of the new year, I wanted to take a moment to look back on our achievements as we gear up for another semester of hard work. 

In high school, other than enjoying that time with friends and family, I focused on doing well as I knew it would help set a strong foundation for post-secondary. 

It was this thought that kept me going when it came to the tedious and painful aspects of school. 

There’s an analogy my mother shared with me when I was soon going to be neck-deep in university applications, stressing about math class and was lamenting on the need for all of it. When climbing a mountain it’s important to look up once in a while. Not all the time, but looking up and seeing your achievements and the bigger picture will keep you motivated towards continuing the direct path ahead of you. At the time, I looked at how close I was to the next exciting chapter of my life,  and how well I was doing on some recent assignments. This helped bring the bigger picture back into focus and reminded me of what I was struggling towards.

Once more, I find myself a bit tired after a whirlwind first semester and having to gear up again for another. Taking this moment to commemorate my high school graduation is one of those ‘look up’ moments for me as I see how far we’ve come. How crazy it is that I went from thinking of university higher up in the climb -- now I’m there. Sometimes it still shocks me and I’m thankful for everyone that got me here and was a part of my journey.

Of course, high school didn’t end the way we expected it to, but being able to hold the degree and diplomas we spent four years of our lives working towards? That’s something we as a class should take as a sign of our commitment and drive to achieve our goals and dreams.

Class of 2020, cheers to the last four years, and here’s to the next four. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for us.