Ladies & Gentlemen, I don't really feel qualified to offer time-tested truths and advice to my fellow graduates. We've all been on the same journey these past years, and I really have no more wisdom than any of them. Instead, I have decided that my purpose is to represent this class to you, and I am honoured to represent such a stellar group of people. We've seen a lot of people come and go over the years, and it has indeed been a long, strange trip. These people up here are intelligent, uplifting, and independent, and I have every confidence in their abilities. I'm not going to start rambling about how we'll all succeed at everything we do, because, well, chances are we won't. Chances are we're going to go out there and fall on our faces. That's how I feel 99.9% of the time, anyway. But the important thing is that we get up, dust off our dungarees, and get back on that horse! All our aspirations are achievable, I'm just saying that we'll have to work for them. But we've been prepared as well as possible to set out into the world, and I'd like to take a moment to thank those who have helped us get up on this stage today. I'm proud to be a product of Worsley! Nowhere else in the world creates people like us! We will carry this community inside us no matter where we go. It's a beautiful place, full of beautiful people. We've been supported and cared for by this community all our lives. Through all the worst trials, the people of this area have carried us through, and I thank you all for that. Our families also deserve a vote of thanks. I know these people, and I know myself, and there is no way our families got through it without a few trials! But despite it all, they too have helped us along. Families are an important part of our lives. In such a small community, I think that's even more apparent. You are the people we can always count on, and we're forever grateful for that. Thanks for always being there. We have some excellent teachers here at Worsley Central. Our numbers may be few, but we are of the "quality over quantity" state of mind. Good, intelligent educators who have given us a leg-up and done all they can to prepare us for our step out of our cozy home base and into the wide world. Why, where would we be if we hadn't had Miss Jane to teach us how to spell our names properly, and keep us in line? Without Mrs. Shilka, who tried oh-so-hard to give us an appreciation of poetry and literature so we could escape the world when we needed to. Mr. Willis prepared us for strange people taking pictures of us at our worst, and occasionally managed to squeeze a math lesson in as well. Mr. MacDonald, who told us tales of his adventures in the world, and advised against hitch-hiking across Canada. And I for one shall never forget our sweet and mild-mannered librarian, Colleen Rook, who so patiently and graciously assisted us in finding whatever resources we needed. I don't have the time or paper to thank all of you for the help and encouragement you have given us over the years, and we wouldn't be here without you fine educators, staff members, and bus drivers who made sure we got here in the first place. Without all of these people, we would not be where we are today. We would not be these intelligent (and, let's admit it, rather handsome) youths you see before you, ready to set out into the world and make it our own stomping ground. When I start thinking about the future, I'm scared out of my wits! I've never really stepped out on my own before! And it's a big step. But, like it or not, we have to take it. And we, my friends, will take it with style! A final thank you to this magnificent bunch, I've enjoyed being a part of it! And guess what? We made it! BACK