Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021 – Part 1

Guests: Wyatt McNeil, Dionne Deer, Carson Gray, Amy Planginoff, Braydon Harsent, Romie Smith, Kyree Thompson, Nacari Smith, Naijaun David

MATT GALLOWAY: Hello, I'm Matt Galloway. This is a special edition of The Current, a celebration of the high school graduates in the class of 2021.

[Music]

MG: Another school year is coming to a close during a pandemic and what a school year it has been, normally, of course, we'd be seeing students and their families gathered on school lawns, taking photos, beaming groups of friends, laughing and hugging, joyful because they're done high schools, heart. And when you get to that finish line, it's worth celebrating. This year, the achievements are as great and just as hard earned, if not more so. But the celebrations are different and the feelings are different, too.

SOUNDCLIP

WYATT: It feels good. I mean, this this isn't the year that we've thought it would be and, you know, you have a lot of visions of what your senior year will look like. And this was definitely not one of them. I imagined a lot more time with my friends, you know, a big graduation, the cap and gown, getting that actual diploma, but being the class of 2021 definitely has a stain on it. Now, I'll remember it being a little bittersweet. I'll also remember it being hard and I'll remember, you know, just a lot of time spent doing my best.

MG: Wyatt McNeil is graduating from Ursula Franklin Academy in Toronto. He's also doing his best to have a fun celebration.

WYATT: We'll probably do, you know, prom with me and my friends. And it'll definitely be small, but I can't help but get the suit picked out. And everything is a matter of looking for a suit in my closet, really. My girlfriend's got her dress as well, and it looks lovely. I can show you a picture of it. It's green. It's got a slit in the left leg and it matches with mine. So not my dress, my suit. Mine's blue and I've got the green tie to go with it. I'm excited.

MG: And we will have other excited grads getting ready to join me on our virtual stage for a convocation ceremony while they take their places. Let's not skip too quickly over that other traditional grad event, the prom. Do you remember dressing up corsage, limo? And, of course, the prom-posal.

SOUNDCLIP

CARSON: I am Carson Gray and I'm graduating from Charlotte Armorel High School in Charlottetown, PEI.

AMY: And I'm Amy Plaginoff and off. I'm also graduating from Charlestown Rural.

CARSON: I started flying whenever I was 15. That's when I started my flight training. But even back to when I was five or six, my grandfather would sometimes take me for flights. And that's where I really my passion for flying really began know definitely to be a big part of my life, especially going to [unintelligible] to get my commercial pilot's licence, where it'll hopefully turn into a career.

AMY: I'd say I go up pretty often just because we spend a lot of time together. So if it's just a spur of the moment thing, I'm always there for him to go out with. Oh, beauty. You can see my breath, but it's really hot up here. She's beat. I forgot my suntan lotion.

CARSON: This year's definitely been a lot a lot different from any of my past high school years. It definitely felt like a bit like we were being robbed because, you know, everyone else had the opportunity to have their grade 12 last prom dance.

AMY: I was pretty excited about the prom thing. So I definitely got started on it pretty early. And I ordered my dress quite a while ago, actually.

CARSON: Prom-posals pretty much whenever you ask your girlfriend or boyfriend to prom in the same way that you would ask them to to marry you. I knew that she was expecting something more than just a sign. So I definitely was thinking early, especially with my pilot's licence. I knew I had to do something aviation related.

AMY: I do see your house. Oh, that's so cute.

CARSON: You want to go to prom with me?

AMY: Of course I do. That was really cute. Wait can we go back and look?

CARSON: Yeah.

AMY: That is really cute. I'm sweating.

CARSON: My mom did a lot of the work. She came up with the idea of using, you know, a sprayer and and koolade to paint the snow. And she spent close to three or four hours writing in the prom questionmark in the backyard.

AMY: It took me a couple minutes to realise, like notice what was there. But he's just asked if I could find his house and I saw it. A lot of people don't put much thought into it. They just make a sign or something. But I was definitely bugging him to do something a little bit more creative. But I definitely wasn't expecting him to go this above and beyond as he did.

CARSON: How was that?

AMY: That was fine, thanks.

CARSON: You're welcome.

AMY: Were you nervous?

CARSON: not really.

AMY: Didn't think I'd say no.

CARSON: Yeah.

AMY: Really?

CARSON: Yeah. Hundred percent.

AMY: No, you didn't.

CARSON: One song that that Amy and I love to listen to together that we- and I connect with is Gonna Make You Mine by Public.

AMY: And it's like kind of like a love song, I guess. When it comes on we definitely felt out to it.

We're definitely always singing to it. We're trying our best to make it as normal as possible. And so that when we look back at our prom, we we remember a good time and not just another year that was skipped because of covid or another event that was [unintelligible] because of covid.

[Song: I'll Make You Mine].

MG: Wow, a 17 year old high school grad with a pilot's licence, well, you are about to meet several other impressive grads. And joining me to welcome them to our stage is Dionne Deer.

[Applause]

MG: She is the principal at Lenglen Collegiate in Winnipeg, Dionne Deer. Good morning.

DIONNE DEER: Good morning.

MG: How would you sum up the kind of year that it has been in your school?

DIONNE DEER: It has been the year of sadness, but yet a year of tremendous pride. Kids were amazing. They did exactly what they were asked. We did everything we could to stay in school. They wanted to be here and we wanted them here. We miss the energy. We missed all the things that make school school. Our life was dimmed. Our lights in our school was dimmed.

MG: So I know I mean, as a parent of high schoolers, what my kids missed in school. You're the principal, what did you miss?

DIONNE DEER: Oh, I miss laughter. I missed kids getting up to hijinx. That's what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to push the envelope as a teenager and you're supposed to find out where that line is. And you're supposed to cross it every now and then. Just see if we can progress. And I miss that more than anything.

MG: You said kids were amazing. And I know that you started tweeting out this little online project with this hashtag teenagers rule. Tell me about that and why you wanted to do that.

DIONNE DEER: Oh, because they are amazing. They I went by a group of teens in school one day and they were talking about how phenomenal one of their classmates were with ASD and what his special his special powers were. And there is another student that had been working remotely with another kid with dyslexia. I coach hockey. So a couple of them were about my hockey team. I needed to celebrate them and I needed, I missed them. And that was my way to tell them that that I love them.

MG: Doing things like this helps keep kids connected and feel like despite everything, that they're still part of something. But I mean, we know that there were a lot of kids who really suffered and who fell through the cracks, that they didn't have that support system that school offers when you're in class as a principal. I mean, how did you go about ensuring that those kids got caught?

DIONNE DEER: We put a lot of work into some of our non teaching staff, our student services, our community liaison workers, our EA's made sure that if there was a kid that was disconnected for any short amount of time, that we reached out to that family. When a family had covid and was unable to be at school, that we not only took them groceries and things like that to make sure that they knew that they were loved, we also made sure that electronically we could connect with them if they were worried about school. Each class is about a wellness check as much as it is an academic check always. And the kids know that

MG: this is the time of the year. You take a look at the stories that you often hear around graduation where you will hear she got 200 percent, he got 99 percent, they're off to this university or college with an enormous scholarship. Those are really important stories, but they are the outliers. I mean, for a lot of students, getting to the finish line is an incredible achievement in and of itself. What do you say to those students who who aren't the scholarship winners, who aren't the star athletes, who aren't the super high achievers but are graduating and it's a big success in and of itself?

DIONNE DEER: Your strength inspires the next generation that comes through. School is not easy for some, even for high achievers. It may not have been easy. Their strength and their perseverance. Being able to push through is something that's only shown to the next group that will come up behind them. So the class of 2022 are better people because they witnessed the class of twenty twenty one.

MG: I like that the principal herself misses some of the high jinks that students would get up to. That's not what I would expect knowing some of the high jinks that students could get up to. You have some some advice for the class of 2020 when we asked you to put together a few remarks as they mark their graduation. So if you're ready, take it away.

DIONNE DEER: There is no better word to describe Canada's class of 2021 than generous. They have shown the country the greatest acts of generosity and Doctor Broken Legs book Reclaiming Youth, he writes from a story shared by elder Belireau, a Cree elder from Alberta. In a conversation with his grandfather. He poses the question, what is the purpose of life? After a long time in thought, the old man looked up and said, Grandson, children are the purpose of life. We were all once children and someone cared for us. And now it is our time to care. Class of 2021, this was your time to care. You cared for vulnerable populations. You cared for the elderly, you cared for your family. But most of all, you cared for each other. Broken Leg tells us that true generosity hurts at times. This year has hurt, but your acts have saved lives. Your class and only your class will be forever etched in Canadian history. You did it because you knew that it was the right thing to do. You never stop asking what you could do to help, and you never stop being creative on how you connect with each other. Throughout this year, your voices made an impact. You spoke up about racism and at times you stayed quiet, as you realise that your voice was not the one that was needed. You painted a picture of what the world could be, and many times you erased negative stereotypes through your kindness and generosity, you looked out for not only your classmates, but you also cared for your teachers and a staff at your schools. You often checked in to see how they were doing and you asked how they were feeling. You cared for them, you cared for us. And as a principal, you cared for me. I spent a month in the spring celebrating you as teenagers. I know that at times teenagers can get a bad rap, but I needed everyone to know, at least those who follow me on Twitter, to know that teenagers rule. I love you for giving up everything to make this country safer. Grads, we have cried together when we could not be at school. We cried when we came back to school because we were so happy to see each other. And today we may try a little again because we miss each other. Please know that within those tears there is happiness and there is sadness. But most of all it shows hope. It shows that there is no group of teenagers more generous in this country than you as a country and as all nations. We thank you today and we will look back and continue to thank you for modelling a more generous society.

[Applause]

MG: Your students are lucky to have you.

DIONNE DEER: Thank you.

MG: Dionne Deer is the principal at Glen Lane Collegiate in Winnipeg. This brings us to the part of the ceremony when we meet and celebrate the achievements of the high school class of 2021, the grads are all lined up, cap and gown, ready to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, parents, family and friends. You have been looking forward to this moment for years. So go ahead, clap and cheer as I introduce the students. First up, Brayden Harsent.

[Applause]

MG: Brayden is graduating from Rutland Senior Secondary School in Kelowna, British Columbia. It's going to take the next year off so he can grow his business. Brayden. Congratulations.

BRAYDON HARSENT: Thank you.

MG: How does it feel to be graduating?

BRAYDON HARSENT: It feels really good, actually. We had our grad walk ceremony, which is like what we did instead of prom. So everyone got all dressed up and we all met downtown and walked along the water and took pictures. And it's almost like a relief feeling of just like, OK, now what's next?

MG: You got all dressed up?

BRAYDON HARSENT: Yeah, I wore a black suit and then I got Purple Converse and then I made a purple bow tie to match with it.

MG: Fantastic. I mean, you got to pop and stand out on an event like that.

BRAYDON HARSENT: Exactly.

MG: Tell me a little bit about school for you.

BRAYDON HARSENT: I was actually homeschooled till grade 10 when I moved to Kelowna and I was working my first job. I was working at Tim Hortons and all my friends from there went to this school called Rutland Senior Secondary, and they were telling me all about it. And I came home and I was like, Mom, I kind of want to go to public school for the first time. And so it was obviously a big adjustment. But yeah, it's been great. There's a lot of great teachers at the school and so many programmes, and it's allowed me to take classes like sewing class or basketball classes and stuff like that.

MG: What did you like most about being homeschooled?

BRAYDON HARSENT: It was definitely just being able to be creative. My mom really found a way to fit my needs as a young, energetic, not being able to sit still creative kids. So whenever there was a chance for me to say, like make something as a way of demonstrating my learning, I would do that. Being able to wake up, and when I was little, I would just always wear different costumes. So I was like a cowboy for a week. It was just that creativity that I was allowed to explore when I was younger has really just like helped me where I am today.

MG: You're in Kelowna now and you've been there for four years, but you used to live in Calgary before that. And I know things are kind of difficult for your family in Calgary, can you tell me a little bit about that?

BRAYDON HARSENT: Yeah. So we actually moved to Calgary in the end of 2013 from Victoria. It was it was good for a little while. And then the economy kind of went down in Calgary and that's when my dad lost his job. And that was not fun because my mom was already like struggling with her health and then the added stress level of my dad losing his job and our family having seven people in it. And so for that, like about a year with my dad laid off, my dad was working at Superstore and my brothers who were just old enough to get their first jobs, were working for the money to help the family. And so being homeschooled at the time, I was at home with my two little sisters, kind of making sure everything else got done around the house.

MG: That's really hard.

BRAYDON HARSENT: Yeah, but that being said, I think that experience really led to the strong family bond that we have now because we had to go through that all together, like going to the food bank and all those things. Being able to come out of that is definitely really encouraging.

MG: What do you think you learnt from an experience like that?

BRAYDON HARSENT: Perseverance and that even when it's really, really hard, it will get better.

MG: You hinted at this with a purple bow tie and the purple shoes. You are somebody who loves fashion and you have created your own fashion business called Moon Room. Tell me about this. Where did the love of fashion come from?

BRAYDON HARSENT: The love of fashion, I think, really started to come around when and I was like ten or eleven when I got really into fashion called Steampunk fashion.

MG: Just describe what Steampunk is for people who don't know what that is.

BRAYDON HARSENT: It's kind of like a Victorian era clothing meets new day technology, but the new day technology is like powered by steam and gears and stuff like that. And I was using my hot glue gun and I was crafting away and making extravagant costumes. It was so fun. And then when I was in Kelowna, I was invited to go to a fashion show in Vancouver for the graduates of the Queensland Polytechnic University in the fashion design programme. And that's where I met my friend Julian, who is a fashion designer, and I got really inspired to start my own clothing line. And he was kind of there always to help me. And I think I've always just been super, super passionate about clothing. And then when I got an opportunity to start making clothing and sewing and just figure it kind of I was like, yeah, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.

MG: You're going to take the year off to grow this business. I mean, you talked about perseverance earlier. Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of perseverance. Where do you see Moon Room going?

BRAYDON HARSENT: I see Moon Room going pretty far. Mooneyham is the brand I created to really talk about upcycling and reusing and recycling old clothing, all the fabric I use. Drifted or second hand, the majority of what I do is just repurposing and upcycling genes and making masks out of different fabrics and just not contributing more to waste.

MG: Given everything you've gone through. How do your parents feel seeing you graduate?

BRAYDON HARSENT: My dad is really, really soft. He'll cry like any movie, but seeing him cry, it was no surprise. Yeah, it's just they're they're very proud. They're really excited to see what it has for me. And they've always been my biggest supporters.

MG: Congratulations again.

BRAYDON HARSENT: Yeah. Thank you so much.

MG: Well, looking crisp there, Brayden wore a black suit with Purple Converse and a matching bow tie, and we heard Carson and Amy's excitement for prom. Next up, meet some boys are about to graduate from Dartmouth High in Nova Scotia. They have vowed they will find a way to dance to celebrate their prom even if there isn't one.

SOUNDCLIP

VOICE 1: Romie is the best dance. Romera Smith is the best dancer in the school by far. I'm taking on anyone. At prom, we got to dance. I'm the best dancer.

[Music]

VOICE 2: So don't be stiff, like some people like will try to [unintelligible], but like me, like I could just sit here and start doing that and I'm not stiff. All right. But some people look like and I'll be all uncoordinated and he loves me.

VOICE3: I get on the dance floor, I just go crazy like no one can keep up with me. I just I out dance everone.

VOICE 4: Like, what? Show me. Show me something. So you guys are going to find a way to dance on your prom. Even if there is no prom.

VOICE 4: We're going to find a way.

VOICE 2: We're definitely gonna to dance, we're definitly gonna have fun.

VOICE 1: Yeah, it's gonna be dancing, you're goona see a lot of smiles, a lot of people enjoying this sort of fun. All good energy and good vibes.

VOICE 4: How long has it been since you danced.

VOICE 1: One second ago.

VOICE 4: What are you wearing for prom?

VOICE 1: Me? I'm wearing a colour blue.

VOICE 4: Tell me more.

VOICE 1: [Laughs] Yeah, I think it's like a blue suit. Uh, when I walked in, I was like looking for suits and I first I was just going to a plain, you know, black with black and blue suit. And I saw his tux and they got it. And they were like it was it wasn't that much, it didn't that much. I was like, I got to get this. I'll look the best in that. So yeah, I was like, wow, I'm a good looking man.

VOICE 2: I lost a relationship during covid, but I wasn't that big of a deal. Yeah. Covid it was bad because you can really see the people because like, I don't got my own, like I don't own the house. I can't like be like, mom, can she come in. Yeah. I lost my relationship but it didn't really scare me, though.

VOICE 3: You know, your first relationship, it's just an attachment so it doesn't really matter. It's just like you probably love them, but it's not. No, I didn't I didn't cry, but. I definitely I got left in covid.

VOICE 4: You dd too?

VOICE 3: She left me for another man.

VOICE 2: We all grew up from like little kids together and now like we're graduating all at the same time, so like that's like a big thing. That's probably the biggest thing that I'm going to miss.

MG: Romie Smith, Kyree Thompson, Nacari Smith and Naijaun David, I have a feeling you will have a lot of fun celebrating grad together. Our celebration of the class of 2021 continues after the CBC News with more students, our valedictorian and special guests, the entrepreneur and philanthropist Wes Hall and the actor, you know him from Kym's convenience, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. I'm Matt Galloway. And this is a special edition of The Current.

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021- Part 2

Guests: Amanda Feld, Jillian Feld, Joshua Feld, Davina Clunis

Speaker 1: Hello, I'm Matt Galloway, and you're listening to a special edition of The Current, a celebration of high school graduates in the class of 2021. Give them a round of applause.

[Applause]

MG: You know that in-person festivities this year are really not what they used to be. That's not going to stop us, though. We are doing our part to mark the milestone of graduation. We have students here poised to walk across our stage. But before we continue our ceremony, let's head outside and meet the young entrepreneurs who run a company called Grad Signs Canada. This is a company we have seen their work around. It sells lawn signs to families who want to pay tribute to their graduating students.

[sc].

AMANDA: I'm Amanda Feld, I'm in grade 11 and I'm 16 years old.

JILLIAN: My name is Jillian Feld. I'm 14 and I'm in grade nine.

AMANDA: We started Grad Science Canada last year because our brother was graduating high school and we felt really badly that he wasn't going to be able to have any of the usual celebrations like graduation and prom.

JOSHUA: My name is Joshua Feld. I'm 19 years old. I'm currently going to Dalhousie University. My sisters, they made me a grad sign and like, I really appreciated that. I was like, nice to just get some recognition from my family and show the world on my lawn that I did it. I finished high school.

AMANDA: So then we decided that we didn't want only our brother to be able to feel special and appreciated. So we figured, why not do that for everybody?

JOSHUA: All right. So I'm the delivery person because I'm the only one with my licence. So we are at the first house. We are delivering a sign for Wyatt.

[Sound: Knocking].

WYATT: Hey, how is it going.

JOSHUA: Hey, we have a grad sighn here for you.

AMANDA: Congratulations on graduating.

WYATT: Thank you. I appreciate it. My name is Wyatt McNeil. I go to Arcelia Franklin Academy and I'm a 2021 graduate. It feels good. I mean, this isn't the year that we thought it would be. And, you know, it's hard, but, um, hopefully next year will be different. Hopefully university will be better. Next year I'm going to Ryerson University for a media production. And I'm really excited. My parents are both in the business. It's, you know, a real passion of mine. And I'm glad I'm being able to turn it into something that I can see myself doing as a career in the future.

AMANDA: Will your dad anything here.

WYATT: Yeah. So I kind of shut the door on him because my dogs barking.

FATHER: I'm right here. I haven't been listening. No, no. I promise. Nice. Looking good. Yeah, that is classy. I love it. Oh. Oh I get emotional. Yeah. It's nice. You know, it's like they've been through a lot this year and it's nice that they've overcome and he's accomplished a lot. Here come the waterworks. Oh it's me. Um, we're just so proud. So that gets me emotional. It makes me feel like we're going to get on the other side of this and and they're the future. And it makes me really hopeful.

WYATT: Well, thank you. Hopefully if I can, you know, be as successful as you are, then I think I'll do all right.

FATHER: It's the first time he's ever said that.

MOTHER: More tears?

FATHER: Promise. No, no. I mean, it it warms my heart to know that because, you know, with your kids, they just they think you're a pain most of the time. So to hear them be be inspired by me is pretty awesome.

MG: There are a lot of proud and emotional families celebrating today. It's time to continue our ceremony and the procession of high school graduates. Please welcome to the stage Davina Clunis. Davina is graduating from University Hill Secondary School in Vancouver. She's been taking a professional cooking programme, which she will continue at Vancouver Community College. Davina. Congratulations. You've already had a chance to have a grand celebration at your school. What was that like?

DAVINA CLUNIS: It was just so surreal. It was beautiful. The fact that I got to go in person and walk across the stage was a blessing in itself. And just to celebrate with close family was just awesome.

MG: You said it was surreal. I mean, how did it feel walking across the stage? That's a big moment. What was that like?

DAVINA CLUNIS: Oh, my gosh. Honestly, at first I was honestly so nervous because I was like, you know, high school has been my safe haven for years. And just walking across that stage just brought the reality to it that, you know, high school is over. But it also gave me hope, knowing that I am going to pursue further studies in college. So it was awesome.

MG: Did you grow up surrounded by food in the work that you're going to be doing. But was that how you grew up? Did you grow up in a house where food was was a real priority?

DAVINA CLUNIS: Yes. Yes. So based on my upbringing and my Jamaican background, my mom would always have us in the kitchen cooking with her. And any opportunities I got to go in the kitchen with my aunts or any family members to learn from them, then I would always, you know, take that opportunity.

MG: What do you remember about the food that you ate growing up?

DAVINA CLUNIS: The food that I ate growing up was mouthwatering. It was flavourful. It was it was just- Jamaican food is unique. It is a mix of natural herbs and spices and meals like stews and soups and even baked products and really makes me want to be, you know, in the kitchen and always cooking.

MG: So what happens now? I mentioned that you've been doing this joint professional cooking programme. What do you want to end up doing?

DAVINA CLUNIS: Well, I want to be an executive chef. That is my number one dream because I believe that I can bring something new to the table, you know, the mix of flavour and bringing the Caribbean influence into food and, you know, a Caribbean girl. And I love my personality to shine through my dishes. And so I love the fanboy and the elegance of it. That's what I want to bring to the table.

MG: Did you throw a big party for graduation?

DAVINA CLUNIS: My mom did. So after walking across the stage, my mom and my sisters almost [unintelliglbe]. They were crazy and we had some family and friends over and open space with the tennis courts and some food.

MG: And what was on the table?

DAVINA CLUNIS: Oh my gosh, there was so much. So there was curried goat, there was braised oxtail, there was jerk chicken barbie fried chicken, there was fried chicken, there was rice and peas. A Filipino dish, there was vegetables and another Filipino dishes, spaghetti. But it was so nice. The spread was just gorgeous.

MG: A celebration that you deserved. Congratulations again. And I'm excited. I mean, you end up as the executive chef and down the line I end up eating in a restaurant where you are in control of all of those.

DAVINA CLUNIS: Of course. You're welcome here.

MG: Well, thanks again and good luck.

DAVINA CLUNIS: Thank you so much.

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021 – Part 3: After coming to Canada as refugees, this high schooler says her mom's hard work inspired her to excel

Guest: Ummalhair Owolwah

[Music]

MG: Want to welcome to the stage Ummalhair Owolwah.

[Applause]

MG: She arrived in Canada four years ago and is graduating from Central Technical School in Toronto, is going on to study biology at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Ummalhair. Congratulations.

MG: Thank you.

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: How does it feel to graduate?

Speaker 7: I'm just happy it's finally done with because, you know, I've been to high school in Nigeria and, you know, I was almost done there then I had to move here and start high school, like almost all of it. So I'm just happy and finally graduating.

MG: Tell me a little bit about you mentioned going to high school in Nigeria. How did you and your family get to Canada?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: We moved to the United States and then from there we took a bus to like the border of Canada, and then we crossed.

MG: And by crossing, you walked across the border? Yes. He came as refugees. Yes. What was that like walking across the border from the U.S. to Canada?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: It was a scary feeling, you know, because I didn't know what was going on at the time. So I was just following my mom. And it was just hard and scary seeing her being so vulnerable and like in such a position at the time. So, yeah, it was hard and scary.

MG: Once you arrived in Canada as refugees, you settled initially in Quebec and after two years, you moved to Toronto. Yes. What was life like when you got in that city?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: You know, when we came here, the housing system, you know, the prices were large. So we ended up being a shelter for a while. We moved from like shelters to shelter because of like issues and then going to school alone because my siblings were in middle school and I was in high school. So I went to high school alone and I didn't know anyone.

MG: Your mom was working at the time?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Yes. Yes. She was working like two jobs, like just trying to provide for us and make sure that we have enough money to move to a better place.

MG: What did that mean for you in terms of I mean, she's working two jobs. Were you the one who had to take care of your siblings?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Yeah. So, like, she's going like early in the morning. So I'm the one who's, like, making breakfast, like taking them to school, taking them home, like making sure they do their homework, clean. At the time, I didn't think it was anything huge. You know, it was like my part, like to just take care of my siblings.

MG: That's a lot for somebody your age, a young person to take on. You didn't think it was that big of a deal?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Yeah, I didn't think it was a big of a deal because I just felt like it was something that every immigrant would have to go through, you know,

MG: tell me about this club that you started in the shelter, what was this?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: At first, it wasn't something serious. It was just like I and my siblings like finding a place to do homework after school. And then I ask some kids, like if they had homework and then they would come and join us. And the more people joined and then after the homework session, we would like take them to parks and have fun.

MG: Why was it important for you to to do that?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Because the shelter wasn't the best, you know? So I just felt like it was a safe place for most of the children to, like, come and like ask for help if they need they help with their homework and they'll be able to go out. They can have fun and then come back safely.

MG: When did you move out of the shelter?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Seven months after we arrived in Toronto. And so I was happy to finally have my own place with my siblings.

MG: You were a student this whole time when all of this was going on, living in the shelter and taking care of your siblings and running this club. And you managed to do really, really well in school. What was your average?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: When I first arrived I think it was a 93 average.

MG: And you managed to maintain that throughout school?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Yes.

MG: And you got a bunch of scholarships when you graduated.

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Yes.

MG: What do you think it was within you that drove you to work so hard?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Definitely. My mom's hard to work. You know, I was in her like go through a lot, so I just wanted to make her proud for sure, like for her son. I have, like, one more thing to worry about.

MG: How does she feel now that you graduated? I mean, it must be she must be incredibly proud of you.

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: She is. Yeah, she's extremely happy. And yeah, she's just like wants the best for us. You know.

MG: It's amazing when you think of the journey that you've been on. We often ask people for words of advice when they're graduating because there might be students who are behind them who are looking for some sort of inspiration. What advice would you give other students?

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: It's very basic, but you just have to work hard and pursue the realities. You just have to do it. Like whenever you feel down or you feel like exhausted, just take a break and then keep going, because whatever happens, life isn't going to wait for you. So you just have to keep pushing and then you get it. Like right now I look back and I think, yeah, definitely I've been through a lot. But at the end of the day, I'm extremely happy with what I become. I like where I am right now.

MG: Life isn't going to wait for you.

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Yeah, definitely.

MG: Congratulations. You have pushed. Hard and worked hard, and you have a really bright future ahead of you. Well, Ummalhair, thank you very much.

UMMALHAIR OWOLWAH: Thank you very much.

MG: Take care, bye bye.

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021 – Part 4

Guests: Anthony Letourneau, Kyran Alikamik, Justin Ko, Sarah Matrai, Wes Hall, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, William Prince

MG: Our next graduate, Anthony Letourneau. Graduating from Cegep de Matane in Quebec, he will be attending the University of Ottawa studying engineering this fall. Anthony, congratulations to you.

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: Thank you.

MG: And I want to ask you about robotics. What is it that really interests you about robotics?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: Robotics are like my passion, since I'm really young and I'm doing robotics, like maybe when I was seven years old, I was doing a little electric circuit and all of this stuff. And during high school, I started participating in the first robotic team and I became the captain of this team.

MG: What did you learn about leadership and being the captain of the Supersonics robotics team?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: Actually, this is a really a good experience for me because sometimes we have to take some decision that's not a people or agree with or something like this. So we learn a lot about how to working team as well, because it is a really huge project. So we only have 45 days to build a robot. And when we went to the championship, like we met a lot of people are on the road. So it was really an exciting moment to meet people like you that loves robotics. And so it's really a nice experience when

MG: you have a lot going on. In addition to this and in addition to school, you have been busy with 3D Tony. What is 3D Tony?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: 3 Tony, they're my own business that I started in 2017. So this is a 3D printing company that I started with my region. There's not a lot of 3D printers. And so I started my own business. And then I first saw my 3D printing services and designing and like a little engineering services in my community.

MG: What were you printing during the pandemic?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: During the pandemic I wanted to do my part to fight against covid. So I print a lot of face shields and more than a thousand face shield that I shipped all over Canada and Alberta and all the stuff that was was an exciting moment in my company growth.

MG: Why did you do that? I mean, you have a lot going on and it's a big thing to make a thousand face shields in the midst of a pandemic. Why did you think that that was important?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: It was just working hard, but it feels great also to have an impact in our community and help people with the knowledge that you have. And I wasn't able to work at hospitals, but I was able to do this and protect people. So I think it was like really exciting to put my passion to the profit of the others.

MG: Are you excited to leave your community? I mean, you're right there on the mouth of the St. Lawrence. That is a beautiful part of the country. But are you excited to try somewhere else?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: I am really excited to go see the outside and the province. This is going to be a really nice experience and a nice opportunity to meet people all around Canada.

MG: And so down the road, I mean, you don't need to know exactly what you want to do yet, but you're heading off for engineering. What's a dream job for you?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: There's two parts that I'm thinking about. For the first one would be that to grow my business and to make it bigger and like being an entrepreneur. The other one I would like to work for big projects such as to the Canadian Space Agency to create rovers and stuff.

MG: To create rovers. We talk a lot about, you know, the Mars rover. Where would you want your rover to be?

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: I don't exactly know. But I know that there is a lot of moons who are really interesting and they think that they might have life there. So I would like to do rovers to go there.

MG: That's really exciting. In the meantime, congratulations on what you have achieved, which is a lot. And good luck in the future.

ANTHONY LETOURNEAU: Thank you.

[Music]

MG: Please welcome to the stage, Kyran Alikamik. Kyran is graduating from East Three Secondary school in Inuvik, leaving the Northwest Territories to attend the University of British Columbia in the fall. Karen, congratulations.

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: Thank you.

MG: What are you most proud of in your time at high school?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: I think I'm most proud of my resilience in pursuing excellence in academics and displaying a character in my community like my school community.

MG: Character in the school community. Is is a big part of your time there. You were the school president in grade 10. What did you learn from that role, do you think?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: Being a student council president was the initial catalyst for me, realising that I have leadership qualities and that I can better the community around me through those skills.

MG: Who is Richard McKinnon?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: He was the school principal at my old elementary and high school, which is my hometown, and I'm now living with him in Inuvik.

MG: What influence has he had on your life and on your education and on how you see that idea of your potential?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: I mean, I could see legitimately he was the first person to realise and commit himself to the fact that he saw potential in me as as a young teen teenager. I had a lot of self-doubt and a lack of confidence and self-esteem.

MG: And his words helped you get through that?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: Yeah, I mean, chiefly because of how stubborn he was about it and how he never forced me to do anything but the way in which he encouraged me. He was extremely expert in supporting which which really kind of showed me the path that I'm on right now.

MG: I know that you left home during high school. Can you tell me, do you mind telling me what happened?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: I left home and moved to Ontario for over a year because I didn't have a very great home situation and the big goals that I had in mind and the lifestyle that I wanted to live, I thought it would be best if I moved away and kind of remove myself from that environment.

MG: That's really hard. I mean, at that age, to to remove yourself, to take the choice, to remove yourself from a difficult environment, how do you think you managed to get through that?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: You know, that's a really good question, because I can definitely say that that part of my life was probably one of the hardest because, you know, I was very much used to the nest I had grown up in and then I couldn't be there anymore. You know, I was 15 at the time, very much not matured. And I got through that because I just reminded myself over and over again and stuck with my guns that if I didn't do this, I would be going back on myself. And that would result in the destruction of the self that I'm very much fearful of and that I avoid at all costs.

MG: You have a lot of resilience in how you describe your journey, you know, your commitments to be a role model and to live a life of purpose.

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: Thank you.

MG: Where do you want that to take you?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: I wanted to take me to more of these leadership roles so that I can have an extremely positive impact on others and feel very satisfied with myself. So I'm going to be seeing things, getting a better education, then coming back north as a teacher.

MG: And when you come back north, I mean, you could teach anywhere, but when you go back north, what do you see as your responsibility in coming back home?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: It would be providing a very shining, if I could, role model to youth here so I can be a teacher that is very much aware of a lot of the issues and hardships and tricky things to navigate through that these youth have an education and in their life, because I believe I can relate to a lot of youth in the north.

MG: Your students will be lucky to have you. In the meantime, are you excited about heading to to UBC?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: Yeah, I've been thinking about every day. It's definitely an exhilarating thought, you know.

MG: What is most exhilarating to you about the idea of heading off to university?

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: living independently and being on a track team there, that's that's really exciting. And like pushing myself to to learn what I think that's really what I love doing.

MG: I'm impressed by the drive that you have and I'm excited for your future. Kyran, it's great to talk to you and good luck.

KYRAN ALIKAMIK: Thank you.

[Music]

MG: And our next graduate, Justin Ko. He's graduating from Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School in Markham, Ontario, heading to the University of Toronto for music performance, majoring in trumpet. Here's Justin.

SOUNDCLIP

JUSTIN KO: I originally started playing violin and then later I played piano. But throughout this whole time, because I listen to a lot of classical music when I was young, thanks to my parents, the trumpet was always my favourite instrument and I'd always wanted to play it. Of course it's my passion, but I kind of realised how music isn't just an art. It's something that can really affect others on deep levels more than just emotionally. And for me personally, it's just something that fills me with a lot of fulfilment. I don't think there's anything else I enjoy more than just being on a stage in a performance with my fellow musicians and just making great music. Before high school, I had been a part of the Chinese Society of Toronto Youth Orchestra and wants to [unintelliglbe], a senior home, and performed a bunch of really classic Chinese pop tunes arranged for orchestra. And I saw that some of the seniors are actually singing along and they're really happy and they're moving with the music. And these are seniors who aren't always fully aware of what's going on. And just hearing all of this familiar music really helped them. I always looked forward to it because I knew how much it meant to the seniors and I saw an opportunity to get involved with Students for Music and Wellness, created this virtual coffeehouse and asked for high school musicians across Canada to submit recordings of classic pop tunes and other familiar melodies. And they'd send these to senior and long term care homes across Canada. In the moments when I was playing, I felt into the music. But afterwards, when I was watching my videos, I realised this might not be really a big deal to me. But the people who are going to be watching this are people who actually grew up when Louis Armstrong, for example, saying what a wonderful world for the first time.

[Music]

MG: Justin Ko and his trumpet, the CBC News, is next, and then meet our valedictorian and our special guests, the entrepreneur Wes Hall and actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. My name is Matt Galloway and you're listening to a special edition of The Current. It's a celebration of the high school class of 2012.

[Music]

MG: Hi, I'm Matt Galloway. This is a special edition of The Current, a celebration of the high school graduates in the class of 2021.

[Music]

MG: Formal ceremonies might be scaled back again this year because of the pandemic, but we, are at your public broadcaster, honouring this year's grads as best we know how on the radio. And we have come to that important part in the ceremony when I welcome our valedictorian to the stage, Sarah Matrai.

[Applause]

MG: Sarah is a grade 12 student at Spring Bank Community High School just west of Calgary. She is her school's valedictorian and ours as well. Sarah, good morning.

SARAH MATRAI: Good morning.

MG: Graduations on graduation.

SARAH MATRAI: Thank you so much.

MG: How does it feel, we keep calling this the finish line, how does it feel to get to the finish line?

SARAH MATRAI: Oh, it's a relief, really. Like, school is fun, but the stress of it, the stress of covid having to get up every morning and put so much effort into trying to make it the best years of of my youth. It's like it's nice to have some relief be done and move on to the next part of my life.

MG: The teacher who introduced your online valedictorian speech said a lot of nice things about you. But one of the nice things she said is that you always try to fill your school with, in her words, neon, sunshine and joy. Tell me about neon, sunshine and joy.

SARAH MATRAI: Well, the first way I do it is the way I dress. Always got to wear neon green. I have a giant platform crocs that are in neon green, bright pinks, rainbows, anything to bring a bit of colour to the world. And then the next day, like when you get to know me, I'm kind of fun, kind of fresh and funky, always trying to brighten things up. People think that, oh, you're going to be seen as someone who isn't as valid or maybe people will see you as less intelligent. But no, you can you can be valedictorian and still like fun things. You can, like, make up and you can love colour.

MG: Tell me a little bit about media and arts and music and why you have embraced those things as a way to express yourself.

SARAH MATRAI: I love writing music and writing things that maybe catch people off guard. I wrote a song called Rice on My Pants.

MG: So let me play a little bit of this, because I saw this and I thought we need to hear the song. So here's Sarah and a bit of Hatoon Rice on my pants.

SOUNDCLIP

There is rice in my pants.

What a disaster.

Rice in my pants.

How did it get there?

First it was sticky.

Then it dried.

There is rice on my pants.

MG: So the big problem in your life, dropping price on your pants?

SARAH MATRAI: Oh, yeah, all the time. It's just such a pain to deal with. And I was eating rice at lunch one day with my friends. I got it on my pants and I was like, oh, there's rice on my pants, what a disaster. And then I'm like, this would make a very good song. When covid happened, I had lots of free time. My job was cancelled. Basically, I work in an amusement park, school was online. And so I was like, you know, I might as well make rice on my pants and people loved it. And that's made me really happy.

MG: Has being creative sort of helped you through this time?

SARAH MATRAI: Oh, one hundred percent. At the beginning of the pandemic, I basically just laid in bed, watched YouTube, didn't do much and kind of felt empty. And after doing rice on my pants, I felt like myself again. And so I started doing more music and learning Photoshop and getting better. At that. I started my own clothing business. I like making t shirts and dresses and all of that has just made me feel so alive in a time where things are so sad and and sometimes hopeless.

MG: What about I mean, the social part of things? I know that a lot of kids have just felt cut off for sure.

SARAH MATRAI: Two days before the lockdown hit, I went on my first date with my crush of four years and we went on our first date and it was great. We went to the Sonic movie and then two days later everything got shut down and I didn't see him for four or five months and I was just devastated. I know a lot of people went through similar things and it's it's been difficult. But we've got Zoom, we had texting and, you know, teenagers will find a way to talk to their friends no matter the circumstances.

MG: What are you looking forward to most when it comes to this summer?

SARAH MATRAI: Well, I want to go clubbing for the first time. I'm turning 18 this summer. Mean, I yeah, I really want to go clubbing, see what it's all about, you know.

MG: And now that you've hit this point and I mean the rest of the world is kind of out there waiting for you, what do you thinking about in terms of life after grad?

SARAH MATRAI: So I'm taking a year off to work and then I'm going to go to university for entrepreneurship and innovation and I want to try and develop my clothing business while making music. Maybe maybe it'll lead somewhere. Maybe I'll be famous one day. But I understand that a big part of that is luck. And so with a Bachelor of Commerce, I should be well equipped enough to take over my mom's business if everything else fails. I've got lots of time in my life. I have time to give it a real shot. I just I love that I have so much opportunity and so much choice to do whatever I want. And I'm not set in stone and I have the opportunity to pursue whatever I'm passionate about.

MG: That's a great message. I'm not set in stone. I want you to bring some of the neon and sunshine and joy to the class of twenty twenty one. You have a valedictory speech that you're going to read for us.

SARAH MATRAI: I sure do.

MG: Take it away.

SARAH MATRAI: All right. Thanks so much, Matt: And congratulations to my fellow graduates. I'm so honoured and humbled to have been selected as your valedictorian. I would like to take a moment to thank the teachers for being so dedicated to our learning and ensuring that our high school experience was the best it can be, especially in the last two years. You guys deserve the biggest shout out, not only for putting yourselves at risk to teach us, but for staying positive while testing negative and always trying to engage with the ever silent students on your resume calls. So thank you. Over the last four years of high school, we've learnt a lot amongst many things. Our teachers taught us all about polymerisation the incestuous lineage of European royalty, and that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. There is no doubt that this knowledge will be crucial to us in the future. But I think the most important lesson to remember is that your personal happiness should never be ignored. When I was little, I started to get high praise for my grades from my parents and teachers. I was told that I was brilliant enough to pursue a prestigious, well-paying career. So from that point on, I decided that I would be a lawyer and I made my life plan, my identity, no time for shallow or frivolous things. I would not waste my intelligence. If sixth grade Sarah knew that I had been selected for valedictorian, she'd assumed that I was lying because unlike her, I am not going to be a lawyer. I will not find joy in that career path. That's not to say that being a lawyer is bad. It's not at all. It's just as valid as being an artist, a parent, an engineer, a designer, a teacher or anything else. If your passion is litigation, go for it. If you dream of saving lives as a doctor, that's awesome. Maybe you want to be a welder. That's totally lit. The validity of your future comes from your perspective and how satisfied you'll be on that path, this was never going to be covid defined speech, our entire futures are not dictated by this pandemic. So why would my address be? But now that our anticipated landscape has shifted, it's important to recognise the life plan you set as a child or young adult may change. And that's OK. Now, before I begin writing the speech, I had a general idea of what I wanted to say. But as my deadline approached, I put off writing it not due to laziness, but for fear of disappointing my classmates with a lack of insight. It was at this point I remembered the wise words of my closest, most supportive friends. Literally, no one cares, Sarah. Their one hundred percent right. You won't remember what I say. And years, months or weeks, some of you will have forgotten it by tomorrow or even in an hour. So instead of worrying what others think of me, I'm just trying to do my best to create something that'll bring me joy, something I can be proud of in weeks, months or years to come. No one cares. Wear whatever you want, express yourself in whatever way makes you happiest. Cringe culture is dead. So embrace your interests and passions. Go out and live your best life without the fear of judgement. People are more concerned with themselves to bother worrying about your choices. If you are happy, that's all that matters. Choose what brings you joy. Choose a career that you adore, something that inspires you to pop out of bed each morning, be with the people you cherish and love your interests unapologetically, and the world will be brighter. Don't limit yourself to what is expected. Go beyond and soar. Congratulations, class of 2021. You did it. High school is over, but the hard part is just beginning. You have real choice, real freedom, real responsibility. And I don't know about y'all, but I'm scared yet. We have an opportunity to follow our passions and create timeless works. Seise this chance and live your life in full colour. Thank you.

MG: It's a great message. Congratulations again, and when you go off and you become famous, remember us and come back and tell us about all the things that you've done.

SARAH MATRAI: Thank you so much.

MG: Sarah Matrai, thank you very much. We have a couple of special guests capping off our graduation ceremony. Joining me now is somebody who has overcome serious obstacles to become one of the most successful corporate leaders in this country. Wes Hall is CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, also the founder of the Black North Initiative, which aims to remove antiblack, systemic racism from the world of Canadian business. Wes Hall. Good morning.

WES HALL: Morning, Matt. How are you?

MG: I'm well, thanks. We have been hearing from high school graduates who have achieved great things and they've overcome big obstacles. When you think of graduation day. What is a moment like this mean to you?

WES HALL: To me, it brings me back to when I graduate from high school and all the dreams that I've had in terms of the things that I wanted to accomplish. And I didn't really know what I wanted to do. And but I knew that the world was just my oyster. It was just open and ready for me.

MG: You grew up in Jamaica. Tell me about growing up there and what you remember about the community that you grew up in?

WES HALL: Well, you know, I grew up in a literally a tin shack in rural Jamaica, St. Thomas, and they call it the bush. I was raised with my grandmother and the people are just poor and impoverished and they work on the sugar cane and banana plantation.

MG: You ended up here, I mean, in a way that many immigrants from Jamaica and elsewhere arrive in Canada. And that's your father sent for you to come here.

WES HALL: Yes, he brought me here. I came here at 16, September 27, 1985, lived with him and my senior year of high school, I left and decided to to start to build my own life. And that's what led me to where I'm at today.

MG: What was high school like for you here in Canada?

WES HALL: I came on a Friday, went on a Monday, and I remember going back home to my dad and said, you know, it's kind of interesting because none of the kids in my class speak English. He's like, what are you talking about? And I said, you know, they're teaching us how to speak English. He went in only to find out that I was in the ESL programme. So they took me out of the ESL programme and put me into the proper programme. And then I went back and I said, these programmes, of course, are easier here in Canada, only to find out that I was in the general programme, that's what they call it back then, which would disqualify me from university had I not had a father who would go back in and say, no, no, he doesn't belong there. So that practise of streaming, as you know, just got discontinued here in Ontario a few months ago. So they would put these black kids into these lower grade, you know, into general so that they could graduate from high school. But when you get that diploma, you can't actually go to university with it because it doesn't qualify you for university.

MG: When you entered the working world, you had a range of different jobs. What was one of the first jobs that you had that I guess in some ways shaped who you would become?

WES HALL: Well, I cleaned offices for a living. I deliver the Toronto Star newspaper. I was a dishwasher. I was a security guard. One of the most interesting job was working at a chicken factory. And my job was to catch the chickens and try to get them to to get there, get slaughtered. And it was one of the worst jobs in my life. And that's when I realised that I have to start doing more.

MG: How important was the education that you got to the success that you've had?

WES HALL: Oh, 100 percent, because and I kind of fell in it because I when I applied for a job in the mailroom of the law firm, and that's when I saw what I could become. I saw all these people wearing nice, fancy suits and I figured I want to be one of those people. And the firm had an education programme that would help people like myself to get trained to be a law clerk. And then this amazing man, Ben O'Farrill, gave me a break. And as a result of that, I'm here today.

MG: You're now the guy in the nice fancy suits and you have used the position and the power that you have to try to create change with the Black North Initiative. This came out after the death of Gerge Floyd. You're looking directly at and addressing systemic racism in the world that you operate in, in the Canadian business world. Why have you felt that that's important to do?

WES HALL: Well, you know, when I'm in the boardrooms and advising all these companies, I'm always the only person that looks like me in the room or on the call. There's a lot more like me, but they're not given the same opportunity. And I just was encouraging corporate Canada to say, let's embrace true diversity and let's include BIPOC, black women, black men, indigenous women, indigenous men, people of colour include all those people. Well, we're not just doing them a favour, we're doing our business a favour because our business will be better. Period.

MG: So we're celebrating the class of 2021. So what would you say to this year's graduates? I'll let you address them directly.

WES HALL: So for the young people that's graduated, a part of your youth was stolen by the pandemic. But you need to look at this pandemic as an opportunity for you to reinvent yourself, to figure out what's important. What are the things that's going to keep me up at night? Happy, not just worried, but happy. How can we look after each other and how can I make this world a better place?

MG: West Hall, it's a great pleasure to talk to you. Thank you very much.

WES HALL: Thank you.

MG: Wes Hall is the new dragon on CBC's Dragons Den. You can see him on television this fall. And now with our virtual commencement address for the class of 2021, you might know the name Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. You definitely know his face. He just said goodbye to playing the role of Appa and the smash hit sitcom Kim's Convenience. The end of that show after five seasons means at a time of upheaval and change for the cast, much like it is for our grads who are closing one chapter and looking ahead to the next. Paul SunHyung Lee joins me now to look out from the stage at this giant graduating class that's gathered from coast to coast to coast. Paul, good morning.

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: Good morning. How are you?

MG: Matt, thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: It is an honour to be here. Thank you.

MG: I mentioned that this has been a year of upheaval and we're all in the midst of all of this. And you certainly have gone through a bunch of that as well. How are you doing in the year of upheaval?

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: You know, it's all about perspective. I think, in light of a lot of things that are going on in the world, my problems, the things I can handle, and I've got a lot of things going on in my life that I'm very, very happy for. I'm blessed that my family is healthy, that I'm healthy. And these are things that that sort of override all other issues.

MG: So one of the things that happens when you go through that kind of disruption and dislocation is that you come out of it learning something that you can apply to future situations. What do you think you have learnt over the last little while that grads might take as word of advice? But, you know, this is something that could better equip you for the future.

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: Yeah, you know, I've learnt that suddenly jerk reactions are never a good thing. I've learnt to have a measure of contemplation to really listen to what I'm hearing instead of reacting quickly. I think outrage culture is something that's very real and very sensitive for a lot of people. I think it's good to listen to people's truths, but at the same time to not take everything at face value and to really do critical thinking on your own path and self reflection, too, about the role that you might play in certain things. So that's what I've learnt. I've learnt about perseverance. I've learnt gratitude. I've learnt, you know, life rarely goes the way you planned it to be and the better you are at dealing with sudden changes in direction or the curves, the better equipped you will be to move forward. And that's a thing constantly moving forward and growing and learning.

MG: When Kim's ended. I mean, you will have seen this and everybody people were celebrating the show. What was that like to experience?

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: The outpouring of support was tremendous. And it really helped me personally just because it was such a very emotional time. It was the end of something that I knew deep down, like right from the beginning, that one day it was going to end and my biggest beef was how it ended. He didn't end the way I hope to or expected to. And, you know, so that was raw. That was and I was in that moment there, it was like I'm talking about trying to deal with these emotions and whatnot and having that outpouring of support of people who were almost kind of outraged on my behalf. People who are fans of the show and fans of us. And that was really heartening. And that really sort of got me through some of the really low moments. And, you know, and it lets you up. And that's that's the power, I think, of fandom at its best is when you lift each other up and you celebrate the things that you love together and you can share it together.

MG: And there's a good message there that it's worth lifting each other up and celebrating. Absolutely. Absolutely. As you say, life goes in unexpected ways. And one of the unexpected things that can happen is that somebody who grows up as a Star Wars not ends up as part of the Star Wars empire. Can you just talk about how exciting it was to enter the Star Wars universe?

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: That was a lifelong dream come true. And I walked through that entire experience wide eyed and soaked in every possible moment I could because I knew how special it was and I knew how things had to go right. Like starting back twenty five years ago when I first met Deborah Charles for everybody else. Again, when you're starting your journey, everything you kind of do matters how you carry yourself, how you treat other people and you never know who you're going to bump into 25 years later, who might be in a position to make your dreams come true. So and I'm so happy to be able to live that dream. My cup runneth over.

MG: You have a message for our graduates, for the class of 2021. I do. I do. Take it away.

PAUL SUN-HYUNG LEE: Congratulations, graduates of 2021. I hope you're all proud of yourselves and recognise that walking across a virtual stage is in many ways an even bigger achievement than it is normally. You've had so many roadblocks put in your way, but you're here today. I know a little something about big changes in life. Things don't always go the way they're supposed to or how you wanted them to. And realising it, you have to leave something you've invested so much time and effort in without getting a chance to see a proper goodbye. Goodbye can be gut wrenching. Don't let that take away from the incredible nature of your journey, you've done so many things to be extremely proud of and learnt a tremendous amount not only about the world you live in, but yourselves as well. Don't let something that's out of your control defined the entirety of your experiences. Take a moment to reflect on the friends you've made, the teachers you learn from, and know that although you might not have had all the pomp and circumstance of an official grand ceremony, you have something far better. The satisfaction of knowing you've completed this part of your journey under the most arduous conditions our society has ever had to face in over a century, and as you move forward to greater challenges, know that if a global pandemic can't stop you, nothing can. If there's one piece of advice I want you to remember as you head out onto your different paths, is this: kindness over everything. We've seen what divisiveness and selfishness has done to our societies and planet be the generation that lifts each other up, that looks out for each other, that brings civility and kindness back into the equation and propels us further than we've ever gone before. Just like me, you're heading off to new things. They'll be hard, they'll be messy, but will also be great. I know your generation that will change the world, and I can't wait to see how. Good luck and congratulations. OK, see you.

[Applause]

MG: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, thank you very much, and I'm excited to see whatever it is that comes next for you. It's. To close our ceremony, I'm going to hand the mic to one final guest with his dedication to the class of 2021.

WILLIAM PRINCE: This is William Prince. I'm a Singer-Songwriter from originally the Peguis First Nation. Back in 2016, I was asked by the Grand Committee of the Pegula Central School to craft the song to show the graduates that their accomplishment was no small feat. And it's a testament really to the spirit of those youth and grow up on the reserve out there. You know, it's sometimes it's a life of great hardship and overcoming a lot of things during your formative years. And I wanted to write a song that said, you know, when you're looking far into the future, don't forget how far you've already come, because that is just as important and it's frankly based as for how you will step forward into this life. And so with a basic kind of manual for life and hand the seven grandfather teachings, I took that message in and tried to put it into this song, Seven.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: Seven]

WILLIAM PRINCE: I was able to have a conversation with the students in a group setting just basically trying to get a sense of their energy, that spirit, that lightness, that kind of is too eager, dancing feel found its way into the song through just a simple drum beat. And the drum beat is very reminiscent of a powerful drum, just steady and not pretentious in its way, just being there to kind of lead us when there's only a standard good, for goodness sake. My message to the class of 2021 would probably be the same as it would be to any graduating class, regardless of the circumstances you may grow up in or find yourself surrounded by. Buffy Sainte-Marie always talks about holding on to your connection with life and in a lot of things are going to change. You'll find yourself growing and aligning with different feelings, different knowledge that you will attain in life and lean into those things. Be open to everybody around you, but set your own boundaries for comfort and have your eyes on success and work really hard. We are going to get through what we've been getting through. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I just wish this next class all the best sincerely and don't lose the lesson and any loss you might encounter. You know, the message is all within the song. And I send it humbly to to all the grads. I wish them all the best.

SOUNDCLIP

[Song: seven]

MG: To the graduates of the class of 2021, we salute you and we cannot wait to see what you do next. Congratulations. Q is next on CBC Radio One. My name is Matt Galloway. Thanks for listening to this special edition of The Current, which we will end with a Cap toss. Grad's. Are you ready? Here we go. Three, two, one.

[Cheers and applause]

The Current Transcript for June 17, 2021

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021 – Part 1

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021- Part 2

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021 – Part 3: After coming to Canada as refugees, this high schooler says her mom's hard work inspired her to excel

Celebrating Canada's high school class of 2021 – Part 4

Thursday June 17, 2021 Full Transcript

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