I feel like I have gained a bit of a reputation for sending the occasional email or two … so please consider this address one last email from my desk to yours.
TO: Class Afloat Students, Parents and Staff
FROM: kknight@classafloat.com
SUBJECT: It has been one crazy year!
Wow. June 28th. I am sure there were days that any one of us might have wondered if today would ever come, if we’d make it until the end … and yet now that it is here we wish that we could hold on to this day forever. This has been a semester and year of beginnings, of endings, of achievement and of loss, of uncertainty and of exuberance – but most of all it has been a year of courage, a year of determination and a year with so much to be grateful for.
It is hard to believe as you look back over the days, weeks and months of your Class Afloat experience that not too long ago the people you now call friends and family were once strangers and the passageways and hallways filled with memories you now call home were once silent and unfamiliar to you. The students who sit to the left and right of you, the staff who share this stage, and the parents who sit behind you have helped you to achieve your personal goals this year and represent one measure of how far you have come and how much you have accomplished.
Every Class Afloat journey weaves along its own path and is created from a series of moments – both ordinary and extraordinary. Each of you has walked, and sailed, your own course, taking from this experience your own personal growth and, we hope, a new perspective on the world in which we all live. You have successfully tackled unimaginable challenges to reach this point in time – and you should be proud, very proud, of what you have accomplished, of who you are and who you will become.
I hope this journey has helped you to realize that you are not ordinary people with ordinary prospects – you have all the skills and talents needed to turn this world upside and build a future overflowing with hope, integrity and compassion. I hope Class Afloat has awakened within you the power of your own potential and that you embrace the opportunities before you, as young leaders, to take your place on the local, national and international stage … to be the lead actor in your own life … a life of possibility. I challenge you to accept the responsibility to affect positive change in your world that this experience has afforded you; the future does not just happen, it is created, and each of you here today has already demonstrated that you have the capacity to overcome obstacles which others might find insurmountable. As Henry Ward Beecher stated, “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself”.
I want to thank our Class Afloat faculty, professional crew and staff. The people who sit on this stage are passionate about young people and work day in and day out to provide an extraordinary platform from which great ideas can spring into action. They choose to work in a school because of the energy and idealism that you as students bring to each day and we are continually inspired by the extraordinary young people that join us each year. We, too, have been transformed by our Class Afloat experience, by all of you. For those members of our team moving on to new adventures I wish them well. I am honoured to have the privilege to work with such dedicated and compassionate individuals as those here today.
I want to also thank our parents. These months have been an adventure for you as well and you, too, will have changed as a result of your Floatie’s experience. You have given your children the gift of unparalleled opportunity and I can assure each and every one of you that they have not wasted a moment of it – you should be very, very proud. Thank you for the ongoing support and confidence you offer Class Afloat and for allowing us the privilege of a semester or year with your most precious cargo. It is with many of you whom I share my closest Class Afloat relationships and your support, particularly over the past 4 months, has been critical to our collective success.
Finally, I want to thank you, our students. I am not sure that you realize the impact that you have already had on the lives of your peers, your families, your staff, our school, the ports you visited and the Lunenburg community. It is wonderful to receive emails from ports of call you have visited praising your collective kindness, decorum and positive attitude. You are exemplary young people and I feel like a glowing parent when I overhear members of the Lunenburg community speaking about your positive attitude and energy and how meaningful your contributions to, and involvement in, organizations and events in town have been. In only 4 short months you have left your mark on this community and your efforts are both acknowledged and appreciated. Your time in Lunenburg, while unexpected, has been significant to many, many people – including, we hope, for each of you. We hope that those of you here over the past months will always consider Lunenburg a home away from home and that it provided a place to build your sense of crew and feel inspired. You are wonderful ambassadors for your families and for Class Afloat and I am proud to be a member of your community.
You now join a larger family of more than 1400 alumni Floaties. As you embark upon new adventures keep in touch with us, with each other and with yourself. Concordia will always be “your” ship and you will always be a crew. At 18 years old she was the same age as many of you – and in her life she made the most of every journey and gave selflessly to each of us who had the honour of walking her teak deck. It is your turn to bring her lessons to the world – to live the lives she gave you.
Remember to take the time occasionally to reflect on this chapter of your life to remind yourself of how far you’ve come and to inspire new dreams and new destinations. This is only the beginning.
Fair winds,
Kate