We are so proud of the 144 graduates who have each made a lasting impact on our community! This year’s graduating class earned $2,987,000 in reported scholarship offers from post-secondary schools all over the world. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Class of 2019!
Below is an excerpt from valedictorian Matthew Owen-Flood’s speech, which you can watch in full above as part of the Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony video.
Valedictory Speech
by Matthew Owen-Flood
Whether you have been at SMUS for one year or for 13 years it seems just like yesterday that we set foot onto our campus within the bustling metropolis of Saanich. I came here in Kindergarten set on following my passion of being the captain of the boys rugby team. As you can see my goal didn’t work out. However, after 13 years I am clinging to every second that I am here with you guys.
From Mamma Mia to Model UN, the 144 students of the graduating class have made great strides. The class has excelled in sports, with the rowing team placing very well in the CSSRAs in St. Catharines, Ontario and the tennis team bringing the blue banner back to SMUS. The class has received $2.9 million in scholarships, an incredible number. Also, extracurricular involvement is at an all-time high. For example, the club I lead, the History is Cool Club, had an increase in membership of 200%, from one to two people – I was one of them. Quite notably, the opening of the beautiful new Sun Centre has become a staple of the SMUS community. The architecture of the dining hall is incredible and the student commons has become a place for all of us to enjoy firsthand.
I don’t want to use the cliché of, "We were a united class and we went through everything together," because we didn’t. Each of us had our own individual idiosyncrasies and interests. We had separate undertakings and different types of club involvement. I believe this resulted in a class of leaders, not followers. This was a good thing. Yes, I do believe the Class of 2019 was something very, very different.
Browse and download photos from the Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony on the SMUS Photo Gallery.
