For those of you who missed it or just didn't hear what I was saying because I was so boring, here it is. Thanks again for making me val, I miss you guys so much.

Good evening fellow graduates, faculty, family and friends. Tonight marks a very special occasion, that being the completion of one phase of our lives and the beginning of another. Commencement.

Coming back to Woburn only months after having graduated has caused me to feel such a mix of emotions that I know we, as the class of 2006, are experiencing together. Some of us have left this school completely, hoping never to return. Some have moved far away, for school or just the beginning of a new adventure. Some are still here, not ready to leave this place called home and some of us, although we have physically left, remain here in our thoughts. Regardless of whether or not your time spent at Woburn was happy or sad, completed or ongoing, fulfilling or meaningless, it was, or is still, undoubtedly a journey.

At the beginning of grade nine, we all came to Woburn, unsure of what to expect. Sure, we knew classes would be larger, harder, the vice principals would be meaner and there would be a lot more students, but aside from that…I don’t think any of us could have predicted the experience we would gain from our time here.

When we arrived, we experienced feelings of apprehension, fear and excitement at this new beginning. But as time passed and we settled down into our new home, those feelings faded into the background as we gained a sense of comfort and belonging. Woburn became synonymous with the word comfort and while there were times when we were still afraid, for the most part we felt safe here.

We grew accustomed to the routine, the morning bells and announcements from the office ladies, the sometimes sketchy but mostly delicious cafeteria food, being able to walk to Double Double or Harvey’s for lunch and laughing between third and fourth period at the always entertaining STAR announcements.

We became familiar with the extremely fashionable lanyard for the short while it stayed with us as well as to seeing posters and flyers for a hundred different events and activities. We grew to expect a certain level of excellence from our dance groups, musical acts, dramatic performances, sports teams and clubs from a history filled with triumphs.

We realized that it was not uncommon for us to hear physics Mr. Thompson hollering at someone or something at the other end of the school or to watch House in Rooney’s bio class or to beg Mr. Mo in the middle of calculus to draw a perfect circle. From bad experiences, we learnt to book a projector for power point presentations as well as a backup projector or laptop…as well as a back up for that one, although some of us never learnt that lesson…. *ahem Nathan.

We came to know and understand how things around here worked and by the time we were in grade twelve, we realized that while we were a part of the system, we helped to build the system. We knew which teachers would give us extended deadlines and which ones would never even consider the possibility … and even then, we still managed to turn in assignments late. We figured out that spirit days were a great escape from the everyday norm. That if you told Bill and Jason you REALLY did have a spare this time, PROMISE, they’d most likely leave you alone. We figured out how many times we could afford to skip before a phone call was made or a letter sent home. We knew that studying last minute was never a good option, although sometimes we made it our only option. We knew that as soon as you gave MJ a microphone, Angelina a volleyball, Sinan a math problem, or Carolina a stage, something magical would happen. And all of us possess this magic, I have seen you all grow and learn and change during our time here and find the outlet for that creativity which I have become SO proud of.

And perhaps most importantly, we figured out who our true friends were. Those few who stood by our side throughout the good and bad times and who have been there to hurt and help us along the way, helping us discover the kind of people we want to become. Perhaps we’ve held onto them since grade nine or maybe it’s taken us four or five years to find them, but regardless, they have treated us and become like family.

But one thing we were never able to figure out was this: what IS that statue in the quad?!?!

These comforts, these things, these people have all impacted us in a very large way. See, as I mention these moments, these rituals, these events, I look around and I see you all smiling because you remember that we all shared them together. We all experienced these things as a class and I think that this is what unifies us; these experiences which have been immortalized as memories.

In time, we won’t remember all of the details, all of the small things and none of our memories will be exactly the same. But these memories accumulated, they are the high school experience. They are what was worthwhile and what we endured to get where we are now. While some of these memories are wonderful and endearing and others are less so, these memories help to make us into who we are and who we will become. Although we are leaving Woburn, Woburn will never leave us. It will remain with us in our thoughts and hearts, as will the people we have met here despite the distance that separates us.

I stand here before you, feeling so much pride in the fact that I went to this school and that I got to know all of you. Because aside from the memories, we all share this great unlimited capacity for potential and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to meeting all of you in the future, knowing that only great things can come from a class filled with so many creative minds, visionaries and revolutionaries.

I hope that no matter where your journey takes you in life, you will always take a part of Woburn with you. Consider yourselves commenced. Best of luck and congratulations class of 2006, we did it!