This Saturday was my graduation...it was both very exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. I found out on Monday afternoon that I was Valedictorian, my first reaction was dread, then anger (because I was contacted so late) and then fear. I am not a lover of public speaking, thankfully I am pretty gifted in the way of writing so I knew I just had to write something short, witty and inspirational and read it verbatim when the time came!
I started off my day with a bike ride to get rid of some nervous energy/destress. It seemed to help a lot because I was much calmer after that. My only feeling was okay-lets-get-this-over-with-already.
Because I attended a catholic school, before our ceremony, we had mass. I had planned during rehearsal that I would read one of the readings to sort of warm up to my own speech. It worked out really good because it helped prepare me and I was therefore more confident when it did come to my speech.
My brother was my escort, and he supported me with sympathetic smiles and goofy facial expressions in the front row, while i waited for my turn with the rest of the graduating class (a whopping 19).
I received two awards during the ceremony, The Governor General’s Academic Award, as well as a ring for receiving the highest mark in my Social Studies 30-1 class. I was very grateful and kind of embarrassed at the same time!
Before my speech, a guest speaker chosen by the grads (a former teacher) began hers, it was quite long and she started to quote part of Ashton Kutcher’s Teen Choice Awards acceptance speech, I probably sat there all deer-in-the-headlights wide-eyed. By this time she had already gone on for quite a while and was quoting it word for word, and I was like, “oh no, oh no please do not say the quote that I used for my speech, please stop, oh good grief what am I going to do...” Thankfully she was going a slightly different angle with it and did not say the quote/punch line that I used.
I started off my speech kind of shaky I imagine...I still wasn’t extremely confident and especially after that scare. I ended up having to say “One of the most influential men of this century, Steve Jobs, said it perfectly -- as well as Ashton Kutcher -- *nervous laugh*”
Needless to say it was not as bad as I had anticipated it being, nor was it quite so scary. After the ceremony and saying goodbyes to my friends, we came home and had a little garden party with some extended family -- my Auntie Sheila, Ray, Jessica, Ward -- and his new born son Steele, Auntie Roxy and Uncle James, grandma and grandpa and of course our family. It was really nice, we had appetizers and then hamburgers for supper and a light no bake cheesecake for dessert in tea cups!
I was super exhausted after that stressful/exciting day and also really hungry because I was too nervous to eat too much beforehand, however it was a great day :)
I took some pictures with my polaroid and my sister took some pictures with her camera, so here are some of my favourite shots of hers from the day...
P.S. I am writing this on my very own Mac book Air!! :D
