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.
Dana Mizuguchi
Inquiry Hub (Coquitlam)
What are your plans after graduation?
- I am pursuing a degree in social sciences at the University of Toronto this coming fall.
What are you most proud of during your high school years?
- Throughout high school the value and importance of learning has become a fundamental part of who I am today. I am definitely very proud of the fact that I've been able to take these amazing opportunities I've had as a student to continue sharing the value of education by teaching others. Whether that be through founding a debate club or creating a conference teaching confidence and leadership to young women I am so proud to be able to connect with people in a truly impactful way just like my own teachers have done for me.
What would you change about your high school years?
- I would definitely stop being so hard on myself earlier on. Though it is true that success comes from hard work rather than innate ability, being able to be kind to myself actually allowed me to do more than before. Some of the things I've done that I am the most proud of are the ones that weren't forced and were rather difficult in a way that I found enjoyable and stimulating. When I stopped focusing on everything I wasn't, I was also able to enjoy my short time in highschool more and make some truly irreplaceable connections.
What does being a valedictorian mean to you?
- It is such an amazing honour to be valedictorian and know that people think I had as much of a positive impact on my school and community that they had on me.
What advice do you have for the next graduation class?
- There is no "one way" to anything, especially your life. Life isn't a puzzle that needs to fit together, you can assign your own meaning and it's up to you to figure out how to achieve it. The trick that worked for me is to become comfortable in the discomfort, life becomes a lot trickier and scarier when you no longer have any guidelines but if you are able to overcome that fear it is one of the best things you can ever do.
