Evan Loura grabbed a selfie on his phone as Principal Mike Safek congratulated him on his successful graduation. (Richard McGuire photo)

A year ago, a 2017 grad class at Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) was never going to happen, Valedictorian Emma Fernandes reminded those at last Thursday’s ceremony.

After thanking teachers, parents and everyone else responsible for the graduation class’s success, she turned her attention to the role the Osoyoos community played in keeping OSS open when it was threatened with closure a year earlier.

“We would especially like to acknowledge the Save Our Schools (SOS) committee as without it, our school might not have stayed open,” said Fernandes, who spoke from the opposite side of the gymnasium from fellow Valedictorian Scott Rausch.

Rausch spoke about how this year’s grad class defied the stereotype of his generation as social media obsessed and narcissistic.

Fernandes reminded parents, faculty and fellow graduates of the stress they experienced last year when they thought their school was going to close.

“Without this committee’s (SOS) determination, all of the town’s commitment to the school, we would not have this amazing grad,” she said. “Last year was the biggest and most important lesson we received yet – the lesson to pursue what we think is right, to learn to work as a community to make something possible and that you can make a change if you really believe in something.”

There were other inspiring messages from those who graduated years ago.

Federal MP Richard Cannings joked that his own graduation in Penticton occurred back in the late Pleistocene era.

But even keynote speaker Brandy Hagel mentioned that the nine years since she graduated from OSS in 2008 was a long time.

Hagel recalled that she used to babysit one of this year’s graduates, Hannah Shiels, when Shiels was four years old.

Shiels not only graduated, but she received eight scholarships and bursaries requiring donors to line up to present them to her.

“Seeing you graduate today is surreal and I’m so proud of you,” Hagel told Shiels.

In her speech, Hagel spoke of success, failure and choosing to go in alternative directions.

“Be brave,” she said. “I’m talking about having a dream so big that it scares the hell out of you.”

Her own dream was to run in the Boston Marathon, but the first time she tried to qualify, she missed the threshold by just 27 seconds.

“My mind became a war zone,” she said, describing how she obsessed over what she could have done differently.

Several years later, she tried to qualify again and succeeded.

But rather than run in Boston this spring and fulfill her dream, “an opportunity presented itself that took precedence over my dream.”

Instead, she ran across Haiti, covering 226 kilometres in seven days, raising funds for Haitian families in poverty.

While her Boston goal had been focused on herself, the option of running across Haiti “was a run bigger than myself,” she said.

Also inspiring the graduating class of nearly 40 students was Principal Mike Safek, who is retiring after this school year.

“This is the final time you have to listen to me,” he joked. “You don’t have to look so happy. Try to hang onto my every word.”

He also joked that they had to “push, pull and drag” a few students over the finish line, but everyone made it.

He then went on to talk about the motto of his alma mater, University of British Columbia, which is “tuum est,” Latin for “it is yours” or “it is up to you.”

“Your life is yours, your decisions are yours and the outcomes of those decisions are yours and no one else’s,” Safek told the students. “Everything is up to you now. The successes and failures in the life that you build, you own it. It’s all yours. That’s both the beauty and the hard responsibility of becoming an adult.”

Also bringing greetings and a few words of wisdom were Marieze Tarr, chair of the board of School District 53, and Sue McKortoff, mayor of Osoyoos.

McKortoff also presented a message on behalf of MLA Linda Larson, who had to be at the legislature in Victoria, where her government was defeated minutes earlier on a non-confidence vote.

Also returning for the ceremony, but not playing an official role, was popular former OSS teacher Peter Gajda, who took a position as principal of Nakusp Secondary School last summer.

Gajda presented a few of the many awards handed out to OSS students.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

The graduating class of 2017 at Osoyoos Secondary School stands at the beginning of ceremonies. (Richard McGuire photo)

Mike Safek, principal of Osoyoos Secondary School, gives opening remarks at the school’s graduation ceremonies last Thursday. Safek is retiring after this year. (Richard McGuire photo)

Marieze Tarr, chair of the board of School District 53, brought greetings from the school district and a few words of advice for the graduating students. (Richard McGuire photo)

Proud graduates (front from left) Bailey Toepfer, Navjeet Toor and Harleen Sekhon happy to be finishing their grad year. (Richard McGuire photo)

Federal MP Richard Cannings brought greetings to the graduates and joked that his own graduation took place during the late Pleistocene era. (Richard McGuire photo)

Mayor Sue McKortoff brought greetings on behalf of the Town of Osoyoos and also spoke for MLA Linda Larson, who was then at the legislature in Victoria watching her government lose a non-confidence vote. (Richard McGuire photo)

Graduates move their tassels as their graduation becomes official. (Richard McGuire photo)

Although Jenna Riznek is holding a real camera, she prefers her phone for a selfie with graduates Braelyn Robinson and Evan Della-Paolera. (Richard McGuire photo)

Emma Fernandes is congratuated as she receives seven awards. (Richard McGuire photo)

Donors lined up to present Hannah Shiels with eight scholarships and bursaries. (Richard McGuire photo)

Brandy Hagel, a former graduate from OSS, gave the keynote address at graduation. She talked about striving to run in the Boston Marathon, but ending up instead running across Haiti. (Richard McGuire photo)

Tianna Morgan and Evan Della-Paolera were the “historians” who entertained those at the grad ceremony with some good-hearted roasting of fellow students for their misadventures at school. (Richard McGuire photo)

Scott Rausch was one of the two valedictorians. He and fellow valedictorian Emma Fernandes spoke from opposite ends of the gymnasium. (Richard McGuire photo)

Mike Safek, who is retiring as principal at Osoyoos Secondary School, delivered closing remarks. “This is the final time you have to listen to me,” he joked. “You don’t have to look so happy.” (Richard McGuire photo)