Laughter, tears, gratitude and a whole lot of ducks filled the gym on Friday, June 20, as Chemainus Secondary School celebrated the graduating class of 2025.
The graduation ceremony was hosted by the school’s principal, Jaime Doyle, resplendent in his Scottish regalia complete with kilt. Indigenous Elder John George welcomed everyone and offered some words before singing a victory song, congratulating the students on achieving the milestone of completing high school.
The gym was packed with cheering families and beaming friends. There were speeches by visiting dignitaries, school trustee Randy Doman and school superintendent Tim Davie, and then it was time for the main event.
One by one, the 50 graduates received their certificates, then walked across the floor to Doyle, who symbolically moved each tassel from one side of the cap to the other — signifying the official transition from student to graduate.
It has become tradition at Chemainus Secondary School that graduates hand something small to Doyle before the tassel turn. One year it was jacks. This year? Ducks. With the first tiny rubber duck, Doyle gave a small laugh and tucked the toy into his sporran. As the ceremony wore on, his sporran filled up until ducks spilled onto the gymnasium floor. It was a sweet and funny gesture from the grad class that no one will soon forget.
In the grad address from students to staff, the graduates thanked the teachers and staff for keeping the school running “through the good times, the times of strife, and the times of COVID” and for showing up every day “even when we didn’t”. The speech struck a balance between heartfelt gratitude and classic grad humour. One of the biggest laughs came when the grads added, “We’re off to chase our dreams now, or at least to book our own doctor’s appointments.”
During the principal’s address, Doyle praised the grads for their perseverance and hard work before offering some words of wisdom and encouragement.
“Go chase your dreams. Go make mistakes. Go do great things. And remember no matter where life takes you, there’s a community here in Chemainus that is always ready to catch you, to cheer you on, and give you that little nudge to get you moving forward again.”
Thanks to the generosity of local service organizations, businesses, community groups and individuals, more than $55,000 in scholarships and bursaries was awarded to graduates. This was followed by recognition of the major school award winners.
In his valedictory address, Grayson Magee thanked the teachers, administration and support staff “for making this place so lovely and supportive over the years.” He remembered his grandfather and the influence he had on Magee’s life and spoke of life being a matter of “give and take.” He encouraged his fellow graduates to consider what they each gave the school, and what they will take with them from their time at Chemainus Secondary.
Another Chemainus Secondary tradition is the annual grad video featuring baby photos of the grads and prompting squeals of delight along with many “Aws”.
When the grads tossed their caps into the air, the joy on their faces was contagious and brought the room to cheers and applause.
Doyle closed the ceremony with a heartfelt message: “Congratulations class of 2025. You did it.”
