16 JUN
THE BELIZE TIMES
2013
We must understand that the mistakes we have made served to set the foundation of the bright future ahead of us.
17
2013 Valedictory Speech
Justyn Peter Craig
As Ms Gongora has said, I am a man of very few words. Therefore, the task of preparing this valedictory speech to the Class of 2013 was far more daunting than taking the recent Spanish orals for the CSEC exams and far more challenging than writing a 120word reflection on who God is to me. Nevertheless, I stand before you today - humbled, honoured and proud to deliver this address to the graduating class of one hundred and three exceptional young men. Honourable Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition, Chair of the Board of Trustees - Mrs Lisa Chang, President Mr Jorge Espat, Members of the Board of Trustees, Headmaster - Ms Yolanda Gongora, invited guests, members of the administration, teachers, faculty, parents, guardians and friends, I acknowledge your presence with us here today. Young men of Saint John’s College, I must say that it has been a long four years and a short four years. The days and nights seemed long when we had endless assignments, labs, readings and projects to complete, and when we had tests and quizzes to prepare for. Today it seems short. We remember our first days at SJC with our new crisp white shirts and navy blue Dickies, timidly walking into our classrooms. We have made lifelong friendships, have gained lasting memories and have learned a whole heap of interesting things in what seems to be such a short period of time. Whether it seems long or short to you, we can all agree, however, that these four years have been meaningful, demanding and fruitful. No matter the experiences – the good, the bad, the ugly, they have all worked to bring us to this moment, and they have shaped us to be the persons sitting to the left and to the right of me. We have persevered and have successfully made it to this stage. With each failure we learned from our mistakes, we became wiser, capable of learning and showing signs of adaptation, using our past to see what mere men could not. We must understand that the mistakes we have made served to set the foundation of the bright future ahead of us. The renowned American inventor Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.” After we make a mistake, it is our decision to choose: • Whether we allow it to discourage us • Whether we ignore it completely or • Whether we learn from it. Clearly, only by learning from our mistakes do we build this foundation for our successful future. While the right answers may not be immediately evident, I urge you to learn from your mis-
St. John’s College High School takes, to be persistent and to maintain a positive attitude. Staying positive will help you find a solution that will enable you to resolve the problems you will certainly experience. Think of a mistake as a lesson learned and a step closer to success. This is truly the mark of a rational and educated mind. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” SJC has given us both. We have grown into more than young men. Today, we join the prestigious group of SJC graduates with a social responsibility to our institution and to our country, as “Men for Others”. But, our educational journey does not end here. SJC has equipped us with the confidence we need to continue our quest for higher knowledge. As we celebrate our SJC experiences, let us not forget that there are those whose efforts have brought us to the success of this event. I would like to start by thanking our President, our Headmaster and our teachers. Your supervision and knowledge sharing have guided us to this point in our lives. To all other friends and well-wishers of SJC, thank you for your continued support as our institution continues to grow. Parents and guardians, your task is not an easy role nor is it yet complete. Perhaps it was a need to feel a sense of independence or perhaps it is our age, but if during our high school years we tended to distance ourselves from you it was because we thought, “We dah nuh lee bwai nuh muh.” Your typical response would be, “Bwai, you muss di smell yuhself.” Now, I ask you to forgive us for our naivety. I also ask that you remember that as we enter the wider world, even if we will not admit it – you will continue to impact our lives as we forge our paths. It would be remiss of me not to thank my parents, Doctors Peter and Sheree Craig and my sisters, Jordan and Jaylan, who have been my constant support and who have unwavering faith in my abilities to be the best that I can be. My fellow graduates, as we leave our high school years behind, each of us will be embarking on different journeys as we chart our individual destinies. Robert F. Kennedy said, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” Each of us will undoubtedly contribute to forging history. Whatever we do, let us have the desire and the will, to serve Belize. As I leave my final charge as valedictorian, I know some of you may be thinking, he must have truly aced all or most of his tests, or he learned something that the others did not. Perhaps, he had a bet-
ter way to memorise formulae, scientific names and dates. Some of that may be true and so I stand as the valedictorian. In retrospect, however, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers are. My efforts may have been greater, but the SJC environment has moulded me, like all my fellow graduates. It was the intense competition, the sportsmanship and the camaraderie that motivated us in our different ways. The friendships I have made with you all have moved me to try harder. Each of you, by being here today, have also accomplished much and if what you have done was the best that you could do, then I want you to know that all of you can be considered valedictorians. I conclude this valedictory address by assuring you that once we are able to build character by learning from our mistakes, and to further gain and apply our knowledge, we will not only achieve personal success in life but we will also contribute to building Belize. The Father of our Nation, The Right Honourable George Price reminds us: “We invite you to be nation builders and not wreckers. Go out and spread love in place of jealousy... and animosity. Go out,
and by your knowledge and persuasion, win all your fellow citizens over... and our future as an independent nation can be and should be achieved.” Ladies, gentlemen, my fellow graduates, it has been a good evening. Thank you so much for sharing in our achievements. 2013 Graduates, relish this moment, but never give up, the world is ours to conquer! Thank You.