Sask. Virtual Yearbook: Valedictorian, other grads reflect on surreal end to senior year
Kabri Sittler of Wilkie, Sask., was selected as CBC Saskatchewan's Class of 2020 valedictorian
CBC Radio's The Afternoon Edition will be hosting a special Class of 2020 radio show today from 4 to 6 p.m. CST. Tune in at 102.5 fm in Regina, 94.1 fm in Saskatoon, 540 am across the province, stream it online or on the CBC Listen app.
A cornerstone of high school graduation is the valedictorian speech — the final sendoff, student to student.
With the pandemic shuttering traditional graduation ceremonies, CBC Saskatchewan sought to help students across the province celebrate their successes and share their hopes for the future. That included seeking out a provincial valedictorian, and eager teachers responded in droves. From those nominations, one shining star burned brightest: Kabri Sittler of McLurg High School in Wilkie.
In his nomination, Chris Kent, an educator at the school and Sittler's wrestling coach, called our valedictorian, "one of the most athletic and driven people I have ever coached and one of the most brilliant people I have taught." According to Kent, Sittler received a 98 per cent average in her final year.
On top of her academics, Sittler stands out for her athleticism, Kent wrote. A three-time provincial wrestling medallist and recipient of a provincial sportsmanship award, Sittler has also coached volleyball and is known for helping younger athletes on the team.
This year, Sittler was recognized as Wilkie's Junior Citizen of the Year. She volunteers at the local health centre and delivers food to seniors stuck at home, among other initiatives.
"Kabri might be a familiar face at provincial championships and around the town of Wilkie but never confuse her with ordinary. She is a hero. She is a champion. She is compassionate, humble, intelligent, talented and resilient. She is the best of what a young person can be," Kent wrote.
Before she heads off to the University of Saskatchewan and the Huskie wrestling team in the fall, Sittler leaves us with her valedictorian speech.
This piece features graduation photos and senior year memories submitted by Class of 2020 students from across the province.
I'd like to start by expressing my gratitude for everyone who has helped make our high school graduation possible. Thank you to our parents for always inspiring us and pushing us to be the best we could be. We truly appreciate all you have done for us.
To our classmates, for the many years of memories and friendships.
To our extended family and peers, who have supported us every step of the way.
And to our teachers, for their continuous encouragement and dedication to each student's education. You have moulded us into the young adults we are today.
In addition to the late nights studying, the stress of college and university applications, and the inevitable pressures of being a teenager, the Class of 2020 has faced unique challenges in our senior year. We had less access to educational resources. We were faced with many uncertainties. And, of course, we transitioned to online learning and let me tell you, it has not been easy.
But we got through it. We were resilient. And we made it.
This is our year. We may not get to stand together on a stage in front of you, and you will likely be watching our graduation ceremonies through a computer screen or from your vehicles, but that does not take away from all we have accomplished, and how hard we have worked to get here.
When I reflect on my senior year, resilience is the first thing that comes to mind. A person whom I admire once told me that "resilience separates luck from true success." I feel that this statement suits our graduation quite well. We are graduating not because we got lucky, but because we have worked hard, because we have put countless hours into our education, because we have been resilient.
Resilience is more than just a word; it is more than adjusting to change. When you achieve success without challenges, you don't learn from it, you don't grow as a person. When you succeed with resilience, you become wiser and you develop into a better person.
We, the class of 2020, have been given a unique chance — a chance to show our resilience, a chance to persevere and grow.
There is a universal truth we have to face, whether we like it or not: everything eventually ends. But for every ending, there is a new beginning.
Today is one of those days for us. We are graduating high school, and soon we will be impacting the world in our own unique ways.
But as this chapter of our lives comes to a close, we can look back on it with pride.
We can be proud of all we have learned, proud of what we have overcome to get here, and proud of all that we have contributed to our world already.
Soon, we will be starting a new chapter, and we can write this chapter any way we want.
There are endless opportunities out there, but whatever we choose to do, we must continue being resilient. We must make ourselves proud.
Every generation faces challenges in one way or another, but I like to think about the stories that the Class of 2020 will have to tell, about how we finished strong, proud and ready to face the future, as uncertain and daunting as it may have been.
In closing, I'd like to congratulate each and every graduate in the Class of 2020, and I'd like to offer this quote from Helen Keller: "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it."
