Last night was my formal convocation. It was an amazing evening, full of pride and electric energy. Everyone was so excited to have made it to this moment and proud of all their hard work culminating at this event.
I made it trough my speech and when it was time to walk across the stage, I was more than ready to accept my Travel & Tourism Business Management Diploma.
I was lucky enough to have my Mom come in from Ontario to attend the event and my WONDERFUL man P was there to show his support and love.
For your reading enjoyment, below is my Valedictorian speech:
When Lori asked me to say a few words tonight I was flattered. And then I was speechless, which as some of you know not at all in my character.
I wasn’t sure what to talk about or where to start so I figured I should start at the beginning.
My beginning was when I decided to walk away from a comfortable 10 year career in real estate and pursue my dreams of working in the travel industry.
That was a scary day, almost as scary as walking into the first day of class to a sea of unfamiliar faces, truly unsure if I had made the right decision.
But as I looked around, something told me I was not alone with my feelings of uncertainty mixed with excitement and anticipation.
All our fears were quickly cast aside by the warmth and welcome our amazing teacher Lori and all the staff at CTC:
Gwen who always has time to listen to anyone who steps into her office.
Lisa who keeps all us on track and organized
Krista the smiling patient face of CTC
And let’s not forget Ryan, before he was scooped up by WestJet
Strangers quickly became friends.
Over the last eight months we spent days and hours studying & reading & learning every aspect of the business imaginable (GDS and train schedules make anyone else a little crazy? And I know PAT and I have developed a long standing love/hate relationship).
Over the last eight months we also bonded, forming strong and meaningful relationships, while growing and defining ourselves as individuals. Every day our passions were engaged and dreams bloomed. We were inspired and encouraged and our desires to excel and learn became more pronounced than ever before.
And here we are today. We now stand tall with confidence, armed with knowledge ready to follow our dreams maps, routes, trails and flight paths.
So what’s next?
Well, our futures will depend on timetables, rules, regulations and tariffs. Our actions, our decisions, will determine out success.
While we may be somewhat scared about leaving the comforts of the classroom and nervous about what our futures may hold for us, I know we are all eager and well prepared to jump in with both feet and see where the ride takes us.
I wish all of you good luck on every path that you choose, with every voyage you embark on. I know that we have the strength and knowledge to tackle and be successful at anything we take on.
I thank you for being the wonderful people that you are and not only for having, but for giving me the strength to chase my dreams
We have come full circle.
It is time to turn the page and start the next chapter
In the words of Jack Kerouac:
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”
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