Things don’t go away. They become you. There is no end. T.S. Eliot
Just because High school is coming to an end does not mean that it’s no longer a part of our lives because it has become a part of who we are.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We would like to extend our warm welcome to the distinguished Guest of Honor, Headteachers of Central High and Mount View Primary International Schools, Dr Mishra and Ms Emma respectively, respected teachers, beloved parents, fellow peers, graduands, and all protocol observed. I am Moksha, and this is my colleague Attaur.
Wait no let’s try that again. I am Moksha, the Head girl, and this is Attaur, the Head boy. Sorry, we had to do that, because this may as well be the last time, we get to refer to ourselves by those titles. Sad, we know.
Moving on to the reason we’re up here, as much as we hate to be the ones giving the first speech- we can only imagine how many of the kids here are planning on taking a nap, but bear with us, this is something we think is worth your time. Not only do we want to express our gratitude towards our caretakers and mentors, but we would also like to share with you all today some memories and important lessons.
Today is a very exhilarating day, and we as a batch have faced many obstacles getting to this day, obstacles such as bad hair days, facial breakouts, the covid-19 pandemic, & online classes.
I would like to congratulate everyone present in this ceremony today; I congratulate the parents and the teachers, and last but not least I would like to congratulate the batch of 2021/22 for making it to this day. Despite all the odds we made it here today; let’s have a round of applause for everyone present here today.
Honour thy Teacher as God, is part of a saying from scriptures written centuries ago, but its meaning still holds the same value. As a tribute to Mrs Abraham, who was with the school for almost 40 years, we would first like to honour her contribution to this school and the generations of students to whom she taught Chemistry. She did not just teach us Chemistry; she gave us a foundation- a foundation of the conceptual stronghold and a curiosity for theories beyond the surface.
Theories remind me of my Physics teacher. He never said this to me, but I would hear from my friends in other classes, that he would brag about me. And hearing this made me happy that someone was genuinely proud of me, and had never said it as a formality.
I will never forget this one teacher who would say good morning to me every day with the biggest smile, ask how I was, and how the home was.
One of my other teachers, upon noticing a drop in my performance, asked to speak to me in private. She did not pressure me to tell her anything, instead, she gave me the reality check and solution I needed at the right time.
And finally, my Year 3 Teacher, who literally turned my life around-she made me go from the 24th rank in a class of 26 to 2nd.
The point I’m trying to make is even though a certain degree is what makes a teacher, how they understand students is what makes them a mentor. And every teacher I have had here has had that impact.
The impact that teachers have on their students is unfathomable. Teachers are like second parents, they know the best ways to make each of our different, but small overall, pea brains understand the subject. It’s not only how well a teacher knows the subject or how highly educated a teacher is in their field, but it’s also the teacher’s ability to understand and influence a student that makes them exceptional & admirable, and we can say with certainty that all the teachers we have had were exceptional and admirable.
Furthermore, they don’t give up on us. Even if our real parents’ faith in us wavers, even just for a moment, our teachers will keep believing. They see the potential that not everybody else does. They raise their expectations and add pressure on us because they know we are capable, they know we have it in us and to be honest, we did manage to meet their expectations, we did manage to get through the pressure and if we have done it, it’s only because our teachers believed in us.
Not only have we graduated today, but so have all of your efforts.
Fun fact, you know how teachers dictate and repeat for us? Yeah, in college nobody is going to do that. That doesn’t scare me, but I know Moksha here is worried because she cares about her notes looking neat. More than that, we all are afraid of no longer having people who genuinely care about our education.
Our teachers have prepared us for the life that is now ahead of us, we will carry with us their valuable teachings and believe that we can make it because they believed we would make it.
Dearest teachers, thank you for the constant guidance and effort you took to educate us. we owe our success to your mentoring and we will always be grateful to you.
Atta: on that note can all the graduands please rise and give a round of applause for our teachers?
I recall when I was 13, I got a D in Biology and my parents simply told me to try harder next time. I cried anyway. Perhaps, if that day had been harsh, I would have either forsaken my education or overworked myself. Whereas with my brother, he would’ve required a beating. That’s the thing about parents, they know what their children need in order to build an admirable character. In essence, they all do what they believe is best for us- whether that’s advice, punishment, or reward. Now, as a law of nature, the time has come for us to leave our nests, but we are fully confident in the way our parents have prepared each one of us for the real world.
On that note, we would like to begin by thanking our parents- after all, we are standing here today because of them. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say our parents have given us the opportunity to make our dreams come true. It’s a universal thing, parents providing for their children, but the beauty of it is that they do not expect anything in return; it’s all for our happiness and our future. There is nobody in this world that will be as forgiving with your bad moods, as comforting when you’re upset, as supportive of your decisions, or as proud of your achievements as your parents. I don’t think there are any words that can explain or show our gratitude to our parents; they are every child’s true heroes.
Lastly, we would like to thank our parents for their sacrifices, their time and their unreal support when there was no one else, only they know how much they’ve done for us to be here today.
Atta: on that note can all the graduands please rise and give a round of applause for our parents?
Here’s a random thing I have always thought about: because I’ve been here since 2016, I remember those Student Council selections and how ruthless students used to be. The cool kid who used the sentence: “I’ll get us a swimming pool” always won. And that’s why, I had been planning my campaign speech ever since, just hoping I would get to be perfect because I felt like I stood no chance of being voted for. However, as it turned out to my great surprise, I was offered the position of Head girl. And I know I’m not the only one who had an unexpected victory. I believe we owe it to our faculty, who acknowledged us for our efforts, passion, and beyond the fact that we were not the coolest.
And that is why we love our school and we are really proud to have been a part of this exceptional institution. CHIS gave us the opportunity to grow, to explore our talents, and our passions and gave us the resources that we undoubtedly needed to get to this stage here today and for that we are grateful.
Moksha and I, along with a fair number of our fellow graduates present here today, have been going to school here since nursery.
That’s right, ever since MVIP was just MVP. Back when the stage on which we are standing, used to be on the other end of this very hall.
Back when the late Mrs Sacranie used to attend our end-of-year performances.
And when Mr Jackson would double the number of push-ups for everyone if just one of us messed up. Oh, and let’s not forget those stickers which would smell like cola on scratching, that we used to get for work well done. Right! We have come so far; it was not long ago that I joined CHIS from MVP.
I still remember the dusty chalkboards and the standard cement floors, but now we have the most modern resources such as smartboards and beautifully finished classroom interiors.
The school has improved immeasurably not only by infrastructure but by what the curriculum has to offer too, such as the addition of educational trips and extracurricular activities. The school has grown and allowed us to grow with it.
Tables turn, bridges burn we live and we learn and often times it’s the journey that teaches you the most about your destination. I can say with confidence on behalf of the graduating batch that this journey of ours in chis has groomed us for the real world.
Now is our time to take on the world and pursue our passions.
That reminds me, I’ll never forget the day I saw the spider man movie for the first time, I jumped off the couch and said to my mum, when I grow up I want to be Spiderman, she looked at me and said Atta grow up you’re graduating next week.
Every morning, I wake up most enthusiastically knowing I get to come to this school…mom doesn’t look at me like that! Seriously, I will forever be grateful for the experiences it has given me. And for the people, it has given me.
I leave knowing in my heart that I have a family within these walls, consisting of the friends I’ve made, and the mentors I’ve been blessed with. Every memory is flashing in front of me as I stand here, telling me that the journey has come to an end as if it hasn’t been haunting me for months.
Though this was the destination we had in mind when we embarked on this amazing journey called high school, we never imagined the end point could be this painful. We will miss this place, and even more so the people here. As exciting as the near future is, it scares us a little because we’ve come to realize what we are losing. Nevertheless, every moment we shared with every person along the way is what assures us that this sorrow is worth it.
Well, I’m not big on crying, but I see my friend Attaur here tearing up. To conclude, we would just like to say, on behalf of our entire year, a big thank you to everyone who has been by our side throughout the years, and that there is no way we can ever repay you. We will miss you more than words can express, and we will remember you forever as a special part of our lives. In a nutshell, as quoted by renowned author Charles dickens “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, and it was the age of foolishness”.
Thank you all for your time and much-appreciated attention!