RACHEL BUTLER

William Aberhart High School

... Graduating is a huge achievement under any circumstances. It marks our passage into adulthood, when we begin to take charge of our own life and make many of our own decisions. As Oprah Winfrey once said, “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” And by this, I don’t think she means the adventure that we all go on every time we try to ride the elevator without the administration knowing. No, Aberhart has given a comfortable foundation, to grow and mature in a safe space.

But now, 13 years after starting kindergarten, our journey in the school system has come to an end, and it is up to us to choose where to go next ... For some of us, that next step is college or university. Others may be taking a year off, working, volunteering, playing sports. The rest of our lives are in our hands.

This can be extremely empowering, but also pretty darn frightening. And right now is definitely a challenging time, more than ever, to know the direction we want our lives to take. And that’s OK. Living your dreams is a huge adventure, not only because of the risk you need to take stepping out of the box, but also because of the things that will stand in your way.

Though this was definitely not the way we imagined we would be celebrating our end of high school, this has also been a valuable lesson that nothing is guaranteed, and we can’t take any moment for granted. This first-hand experience proves that things don’t always go as planned, but you have to make the best of what you have. Don’t be discouraged if you encounter some closed doors. That just means you are one step closer to something better.

... And so, here’s to the class of 2020 — the class that is able to overcome any struggle, any obstacle. We did it. We graduated.