Secondary School Chapter Nearly Complete

"One chapter of your life is ending and another one is about to begin," said Joseph DiBella, a graduate at Innisdale Secondary School.

It's June! This month usually delivers the summer weather that we've all been waiting for, and by the end of the month students will be singing Alice Cooper's Schools Out. However, June also hosts an important event in every student's life, graduation.

For those who have already experienced graduation, it's a memory that will most likely last forever. For others, it's something many students fantasize and wait for.

At Innisdale Secondary School, there are three components to the overall graduation. Innisdale hosts prom for the students to get together one last time before they head separate ways. Depending on the year, prom commonly consists of renting a manor, and students are responsible for hosting their own optional after-prom parties. The following September, Innisdale hosts a commencement, where the graduates gather back at the school, accompanied by their families, to accept their diplomas.

Although it's not always cheap, graduation cannot be missed, according to DiBella. It's a once in a lifetime experience that is well worth the price. Plus, it's something many students look forward to for the longest time. When it finally does arrive, it's like a dream come true.

When the end finally arrives, and it's time to part, there are several emotions. It's a mixture of being sad about everyone going different ways, and the excitement of starting fresh and meeting new people. It's a completely new beginning to the adult life. Graduates often choose which direction to take.

DiBella, will be taking the high school victory lap — a fifth year of secondary schooling — to raise his grades, since they didn't quite meet the mark for the university being aimed for. His goal is to raise them so that he can attend the University of Guelph.

For those entering Grade 12 in the future, work hard and raise grades so the same mistake can be avoided.

"Unless you need to soak up the extra year because you don't feel ready," said DiBella. "I personally know I'm going to feel left behind."

There's a few lessons in this somewhere. While high school is about grades, it's also about the experience. While being prepared for post secondary school, adult life, and jobs, students are experiencing and making unforgettable memories.

Graduation just marks the end of the experience, and the beginning of a new one.

"Graduation is really something to look forward to, but enjoy the time you have in high school," says DiBella. "As much as it seems like a pain, you'll regret (wishing the time away) in the end. High school has brought me some of the best times I have ever had in my life and I will never forget them, ever."