Page 19 - Grad Program 2020 FLIPBOOK

Valedictory Address

Dear friends and families,

Hello, I am Marshall McFarland and today I get the honour of speaking on behalf of
the graduating class of 2020.

First off, this sucks, believe me I know. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t wish
things were different, but here we are so enough is enough. This is supposed to be a
celebration so let’s try and make the best of it.

Okay before I say anything else it’s time for some long overdue thank you’s. I’d like to
thank my fellow graduates for making my experience at high school such a good one, I
know I can’t speak for everyone but I know there are a bunch of you like me who
absolutely loved their time here, so thank you. Next is to the friends and family that
raised my classmates and myself, it is truly amazing what you have done, I know it
wasn’t easy raising us. And lastly to the teachers and staff of NDSS, wow, I’m
impressed. I can’t begin to say how glad and appreciative I am to have had you as
teachers, advisors, friends and role models over the last 4 years.

Now looking back on my time here, I’m sure that many of us shared similar
experiences and thoughts. Things like “why is second period so long?” and “are these
math teachers even speaking English right now?”, Like Miller what even is a lippy do?
I’m sure many of us will remember the walks to Tim’s and La Pizzeria at lunch because
we couldn’t drive yet and how the walk back was always much quicker than the walk
there because we didn’t want to be late for 4th. Or even waiting in line for 15 minutes
at the Caf to pay 7 dollars for the meal of the day and a watered down “blue drink”
which to this day is still an unknown substance. These are memories that might be
forgotten, but for some of us will last a lifetime. It’s not the marks you got in science or
math, or the one big game that you remember. It’s the little things that make high
school memories so much sweeter and lasting, and truly make us Golden Hawks. I’ll
never forget the first days of grade 9 when I had no idea where I would sit at lunch so I
just sat in front of my locker in C hall, luckily so did a lot of other people, this became a
normal thing and it’s why I’m friends with a lot of you today.

I wish that we had those last few months to spend together, to make final memories but
sometimes that’s just how it goes, we can’t get everything in life but I’m sure glad I’ve
got the memories I do. So now what? Well, I’ve only got one piece of advice and it’s not
from me, it’s from someone who should be here today. Garrett Mills, even though he
couldn’t have known what 2020 would look like, his words have never been more
important, or more appropriate. Get out there and change this world for the better,
Grads.

Thanks,
Stay classy, Hawks