While last year the Hazelton Secondary school graduation ceremony was excellent and I was very impressed, this year’s was phenomenal.
The number of students graduating is always an important factor, yet the calibre of this year’s 54 young minds was also an inspiring thing to see. So many of them earned scholarships and there was a variety of students who picked up the wide range of bursaries.
It was great to hear the majority are going on to higher education and almost all had a plan.
If all this wasn’t enough, then there were the speeches. First, Valedictorian Tait Chandler took all of us to a place and level I have never seen. Now I must admit I have known, loved and watched this amazing young man grow up to be where is he is today. I was so proud of him when he found out he was the recipient of both the highly coved Morehead-Cain scholarship and the Loren scholarship enabling him to go to any university he wanted to in Canada or the prestigious University of North Carolina to make the best of whatever future he chooses. However, knowing this young man’s incredible talents and awe inspiring personality still could never have prepared me for his open ended poem that was his speech for this year’s grad. I wish every young mind, politician and person in general, could have witnessed the gift of his speech. And it was just that, a truly remarkable gift, to all those in attendance. A huge congratulations and heartfelt thank you to Tait for all that he has given his community, friends and peers over the past 17 years and everyone in attendance on Saturday afternoon.
Next on the ‘wow factor’ list would definitely be Karl Wyseen and Max Harrison who brought true entertainment to the stage with their contribution entitled “History and Prophecy”. These two young man also have wonderful assets to share with this world and it took mere seconds before they had everyone laughing with their stellar performance. They found such a fun way to share their thoughts and possible future outcomes of their fellow classmates. What a giggle and a congrats to the duo on a job well done.
Lyn Newbery, our local trustee for the Board of Education, also had a great speech accompanied by a map about all the amazing places HSS grads are living around the world. It was wonderful to see so many dots decorating the map where Hazelton students were making a difference.
On a closing note, the theme this year seemed to be a word that was painted on the backdrop of the stage. One word, simply put, yet interpreted in so many different ways by others. When I saw the bold white letters spelling “Whatever” I took it as a world of possibilities. Whatever these young minds wanted to do, the world is theirs for the taking. However, as many of us know it is also a slang word and can be used is tons of ways which Vice Principal Adam Moore shared in his speech. Yet to me, especially after witnessing the unbelievable young talent sitting in front of me that day, I maintain my first instinct on the theme was a solid one. So with that said, may all the HSS graduates go out in to the world and do whatever their heart tells them or their minds inspire them and as a few pointed out, whatever stands in their way, they can overcome.
Shannon Hurst writes the weekly My Town column.