Page 86 - 1975

Mr. Giller, members of the platform party, fellow gradu- ates, teachers, ladies and gentlemen:
As I stand here tonight looking out at all of you, I am filled with feelings of sadness, as well as feelings of joy. I think of beautiful memories, and of hopes and aspirations for the future. I am filled with many feelings and thoughts that I can't even begin to describe. For tonight marks an important turn- ing point in our lives. Tonight, for most of us, symbolizes the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. And, although we are somewhat hesitant to close the last pages of
that chapter- that way of life that CCI has shown us- the world of security that we have come to know here, we are also very anxious to see what the future holds for us.
Let us, for a few moments, reach back into our memories to that very first day of high school. I think we must all remember it well. For us, it was a day of excitement and apprehension. It was the start of something new. It was a time that made us and our parents realize that we were growing up- becoming young men and women.
Well, we've passed that chapter in our lives. We are now a little older, and hopefully, a little wiser, thanks to CCI. CCI has shared a big part of our lives. It has been a good friend-a home away from home for some of us. I'm sure that CCI has meant many different things to each one of us. For some, CCI meant maturing; for some, it was an avenue on which to display their talents; for some, it was a place where they met new and beautiful friends; and for others, it was all of these and much more.
Throughout its 100 years, CCI has experienced many chanqes and has wimessed many changes in each one of its students. It has grown up with us, helping to mould us to the individuals that we are today. For this, we all share a common indebtedness to CCI, especially to its teachers. With hard work and devotion, they have attempted to instill in us the capacity
to succeed in all that we do. They have laid our foundation in learning and education. We, the graduated, thank you. our teachers for what you have given us, and for being the fine people that you are.
But now it's up to us. We must continue this building process throughout the rest of our lives. For education and learning do not end upon graduation from CCI. No, this is only the beginning! Life itself is a learning experience. In effect, life is learning.
At this point, we'd like to thank the people who brought us into this life- our parents. Without them, the years would have been much more difficult and somehow incomplete. We thank them for their patience, understanding, sympathy, trust and most of all, their love. We hope that we are a credit to them and have adequately fulfilled their dreams.
For many of us, this will be the last time that we will ever walk through the halls of CCI. And, although we may lose contact with many of our school friends, there is one thing that we shall always have. These are our memories. We all have many memories of our life at CCI, some are bad, but most of them are good. With time, the bad memories will fade, leaving only the many good memories. Memories that we will all recall many times hence. But one cannot live on memories alone. Ou~: times at CCI have come to an end- lost forever to the never-ceasing pendulum of time. Now we must look ahead to our futures with enthusiasm, eagerness, and fresh ideas, ready to fulfill whatever promise the future may hold for us. We must be prepared to face the world with open arms and the
As we received our diplomas tonight, we may have thought of how small and insignificant that piece of paper seemed. It represents a great deal of time, effort, frustration and hard
work. But, however insignificant it may seem now, it is one of the most valuable pieces of paper that we will ever receive. In essence, that diploma is our ticket to the future-destination unknown. We have decided upon our goals and objectives. It is up to us to reach that destination. And we can do it. We will do it!
ln closing I would like to share with you, a few lines from Desiderata. I think everyone here will find some meaning in them, especially the graduates.
"Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time ... And what- ever your labours and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shame, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. STRIVE TO BE HAPPY!! !"
Thank you. Sherry Sellers
world will open its arms to us.
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**denotes ONT ARIO SCHOLARS