Congratulations

Today my first class of senior highschoolers graduated. The vast majority of them with honour.
I couldn't be prouder.
This has been a stressing year, for them and for me both. To me it felt like running a marathon, trying to stay ahead of the rest of the competitors. I built my classes chapter after chapter, desperately trying to find interesting material, to articulate the class so they'd enjoy it. I tried to pass on to them what I learnt from experience in the ten years head start I've had.
I wanted their highschool experience to have nothing on common with mine.

It's been daunting and exhausting and over all such a gratifying experience.
I was scared witless of messing it up, of letting them down, of failing them.

And God; I couldn't have been prouder today.
God, I couldn't have been happier today.

Today I was the lucky witness of their happiness, of their success, of their joy.

All through the year I saw them evolve, I saw them grow.
They grew, they grew up.
I saw them bloom and shine, gain confidence and start to fly on their own, making choices about their future, questioning their knowledge and the role they were to play in society.
I saw opinions form, ideas appear.
Hands rose.
That little spark of curiosity, of passion sometimes maybe.
God, when I see them I catch myself thinking maybe, just maybe, the future will be brighter.

Oh I couldn't be prouder.
So to all my students, those who will read this and those who won't,
I've seen you work, I've seen you endure the stress, the winter, the exhaustion and I am proud of you. I am proud of the effort you made, I am proud of the mistakes you made, proof that you tried and you learnt.

You are good and will get even better. You are strong and fierce and deserve a bright future.
I believe each and everyone of you will find a path, or several, and become the best version of yourselves.
Enjoy and rejoice! It is not time to mourn the end of an era but to celebrate the beginning of the rest of your lives.
I wish you all the best there is. A life full of opportunities, of dreams to fulfil, of challenges to take, of trials that will make your life more interesting. I wish you luck and love, happiness and pride.
Because today; you all made me both happy and proud.

Congratulations.