The following is an excerpt from the 2018 valedictory speech by Nirvana Kistow, Swaha Hindu College.
It is indeed a privilege to be this year’s valedictorian and I am honoured to stand here before you today. I am thankful to God for it is by his grace that I stand here. It is often said that your parents are your Gods on earth and to my parents I am eternally grateful for your tremendous support and guidance. I love you. To my sister, Varuna, thank you for being my strongest cheerleader. I am also thankful to the Principal Pundit Ishwar, Vice-Principal Miss Ambika and the rest of the administrative team and teachers for the vote of confidence that they have shown in me by making me this year’s valedictorian.
Before I move forward, let me take you back in time. Entering SWAHA Hindu College was like making it to the big stage of the World Cup. We had earned the right to be here but we had to prove we were worthy of playing in the big league and it felt like thousands of eyes were on us. As we walked onto this new field we all felt the butterflies in our stomach as we were unsure of the playing conditions or what the referees and new coaches would be like.
As the first whistle blew and the ball got rolling in our secondary school journey we were greeted with new and different experiences. How can we forget those lovely days when we scrabbled to finish our Tech Ed portfolio the night before it was due and while still struggling to learn our classmates’ names. However, we found comfort in stories told by our then Principal, Pundit Gyandeo Persad, which not only brought a smile to us but provided life-long lessons. We also found comfort in our daily meditation and when we performed our weekly hawan.
As we approached the middle of the first half we started to get the feel of the pitch and we were a little more accustomed to our coaches, referees and fellow players. By now we had finally learnt everyone’s names, had groups of friends but yet still couldn’t finish that Tech Ed portfolio on time. And who could forget the splendid times we had in group work?
As we approached the half-time whistle we faced a wall of stone hard work. Or should I say joyful memories of having a full timetable with every subject on it and no library period and NCSE exams around the bend. Of course along the way some of us ran afoul of the referee and in spite of our pleading and begging were promptly shown the yellow card. Thankfully no one was ever shown the red. As the whistle blew to end the first half we all had the task of having to pick subject groupings for CSEC and every teacher had their own special lecture on why we should pick their subject.
Before long the second half had started and the pace picked up as we began our journey towards CSEC. As we said good bye to some subjects and portfolios we said hello to past papers and SBAs. It was a year when we worked hard with our teachers to finish the syllabus and do past papers. To clear our head and ease the stress we tried our best to succeed in flipping water bottles and relaxed by using this thing called a fidget spinner. I also had my personal team who always helped me through. Before we knew it, the match was coming to an end. We were drilling past papers at late hours in the night and the coaches were shouting at us from the sidelines to hand in SBAs or we would be out of the game. It felt like we were two goals down and time was running out. However we regained our composure with our Saraswati puja, headed into CSEC exams and came out thinking, “What in the world was with that math exam?”
Today, my friends, the referee has blown the final whistle and it is over, at least for a while. Today, before we exit this field we must hug and congratulate each other on a game well played. Now is also the time when we must pay homage and give thanks to all those who would have stood with us throughout this journey. To our teachers – the coaches who stuck with us to get us game-ready even when we doubted our own abilities. My dear teachers, not only have you taught us the skills and knowledge of your subjects but by your actions you have shaped our values, shown us compassion and have inspired our thoughts. For this we say thanks to all our teachers, we could never repay you for your dedication and hard work. When we faced the many challenges of the game and got battle-scarred or injured you stood by us, nursed us back to fitness and got us running again. You were our pillars of strength and we hope we can continue to make you proud. Lastly, I would like to thank someone who is not here but deserves thanks; that is… the creators of Google. Where would we be without you?
Thank you to our managers – the administrators and Board of SWAHA Hindu College. Our forefathers and leaders fought long and hard so that we could have the privilege to be educated in a place where we can practice and appreciate our own culture. So we are thankful to all who would have worked to ensure that there is a SWAHA Hindu College here for us.
My follow graduates, as we take our final bow and we exit the field one final time, remember this game might be over but the tournament of life continues. As we move forward, not all of us would move on to Form 6. Some may go on to university or get a job. To those, I say congratulations – you don’t have to hide your smart phones anymore. On the down side, say goodbye to box lunches. This might be the final time you don this uniform but don’t forget the values it represents as expressed in the name of our houses – Dayaa (Compassion), Daan (Charity), Satyam (Truth), Soucham (Cleanliness).
Friends, as we take each step to make our hopes and dreams a reality, remember to keep God in your mind, compassion in your hearts and your eyes focused on your goals. Whatever you may choose to do in the future I would like to say that hard work pays off, whether you like it or not. If hope is lost, get up and find it. As J.K. Rowling (the author of the Harry Potter series) once said, “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” Remember that the sky is NOT your limit, because if people believed that you couldn’t go beyond the sky, there would only be planes and we wouldn’t have discovered space or the solar system. So remember you have no limits and you can go beyond the galaxy. May Saraswati Mata bless you.
