The Tri-City News asked SD43 valedictorians in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody to reflect on their high school years and tell us what their future brings.
Lucy Wang
Customized Learning Centre (Coquitlam)
What are your plans after graduation?
- With the ultimate goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, I will first attend Douglas College for my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing undergraduate degree. I have received multiple scholarships that will cover the entire cost of my undergraduate degree.
What are you most proud of during your high school years?
- I am most proud of my ability to persevere despite a severe illness and grief of losing a parent. I proved many impossibilities to be possible. One of them is passing a seven-hour black belt test and becoming a Taekwondo instructor.
What would you change about your high school years?
- I have experienced innumerable challenges during my high school years, which all helped me grow and became the resilient and compassionate person I am today. I would not change anything. Even in the toughest moments, there was always a positive side and valuable lessons that helped me mature.
What does being a valedictorian mean to you?
- To me, people’s worth and abilities should not be determined solely by numbers on a piece of paper or a grade point average. It is demonstrated through each and every aspect of life. I believe the word “Valedictorian” is a verb rather than a noun. It must be demonstrated through actions, well-rounded characters and personal growth.
What advice do you have for the next graduation class?
- I have been aiming for perfection for as long as I can remember. Yet, life is the absolute opposite of being perfect. What makes life meaningful is the unexpectedness: It is the mistakes we get to learn from, it is the beauty we see in nature and it is the fulfillment we gain from acts of kindness. Time is our most valuable asset. Spend it on something that makes you proud and happy.
