Welcome everyone to the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2025.
My name is Arwin Klar, and I am honoured to be your valedictorian.Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for selecting me for this. It means more to me than words can say.
But today isn’t about me, it’s about us. Because even though we come from different walks of life, different families, different stories and different backgrounds, we all share something powerful in common today: the biggest accomplishment of our lives so far...graduation.
And we get to share it together. We made it. After years of early mornings, last-second studying before tests, rushing to class, and completing piles of assignments, we are here. In caps and gowns. Together.
To our families, thank you for the lunches packed and the rides given. For the support of all of the faculty and staff here—thank you. Every day, you dedicate your lives to educating the next generation. We see you. And as we step into the workforce, into college and the wider world, we hope to make you all proud.
And to my fellow classmates, thank you for making Williams Lake feel like home. Thank you for growing up with me. Every moment we’ve shared, from elementary school to middle school to finishing high school today together have shaped our childhoods that have molded us into the young men and women that we are today.
Growing up in Williams Lake, we’ve witnessed beauty in simplicity. We’ve seen the way a quiet morning fog rolls over the lake like a painting. We’ve watched the stars dancing in the skies untouched by city lights. We’ve grown up in a place where people wave when they pass each other on the street not because they have to, but because that’s just who we are.
We’re a simple community, but a deeply connected one. Growing up in this town, we have learned that we don’t need to be flashy or fancy or have a big stage to be seen. Growing up here is special because even though we’re all from a small town we’ve never once been told we couldn’t dream big.
So whether you move away to a big city for college, travel across the country, or choose to stay right here, never lose the pride of being from Williams Lake. We have every reason to dream big, and to change the world. Whatever you set your mind to, never forget where you come from. Wear it with immense pride, and know that what sets us apart being from here is our big hearts.
Let me remind you: where you start does not limit where you can go.What unites us is not where we go after this, but what we take with us: the lessons of this town.The community that taught us to show up, to speak out, to support each other. To be kind, not because the world always is but because we can be. In a world that often values speed, I hope we stay slow enough to listen. In a world that celebrates noise, I hope we remember the power of silence. And in a world full of distractions, I hope we remember who we are, and where we come from.
We are the Class of 2025. The class that persevered. The class that grew up through pandemics, wildfires, uncertainty and still found reasons to laugh, to love, to hope.
So what comes next? Some of us will pursue university, some trades, some work, some discovery. Some of us will change our minds five times and still be on the right path. Life isn’t linear and that’s okay. We are not behind. We are becoming. As we walk across this stage today, we don’t leave Williams Lake behind. We carry it with us in our roots, in our values, in our grit. So let’s go forward boldly. Not because we have everything figured out but because we are ready to try. Ready to fail and rise again. Ready to be the generation that doesn’t just inherit the world but reshapes it.
To the Class of 2025 I’m proud of you. I’m proud of us. We can all do something great. We are living proof that smalltown kids can dream big too!
Thank you!
