Edmonton valedictorians: Jonathan Peebles of Eastglen

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Jonathan is from the Beverly neighborhood of Edmonton and has played for many sports teams including indoor and outdoor soccer, volleyball, badminton, track and field and handball, winning three soccer finals. Besides sports, Jonathan enjoys lifting weights and reading. Their future ambitions include studying biology at the University of Alberta, with plans to study medicine afterward.

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Starting address:

Today is a day of celebration, a day that we have worked hard to achieve for twelve years. As I stand before you, I am greeted with a mixture of pride, gratitude, and excitement as this next chapter in our lives will be filled with new opportunities in college and adulthood.

It is this journey to this moment that I want to commemorate with this speech. We all took different paths to get here today. Some of us have studied diligently to pursue a profession we have always admired, while others here at Eastglen have sought and learned new passions and explored the many possibilities they can work towards.

All of our journeys have been unique, but today we can all stand here as one graduating class. Our journey through school was marked by perseverance and dedication. We spent countless hours studying in the math lab, writing dozens of essays in the library, rehearsing our lines for a play, or attending early morning handball practices.

We have faced obstacles and setbacks. We’ve had years of schooling with COVID, online classes that no one ever wanted to attend, but each time we’ve persevered. Despite all these difficulties, we have discovered the true benefit of our resilience. As we celebrate our achievements, it is important to thank everyone who has supported us and made these achievements possible.

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To our teachers: thank you for your endless patience and guidance. You supported us through difficult units and difficult times, meeting each class with an infectious enthusiasm for even the most mundane topics. You are the reason we can stand before you and graduate today. We would like to thank our families for the encouragement and support on which we have built our achievements and future. The foundation you have laid for us has been steadfast and solid. Your joy in our successes and your comfort in our losses have built for us a spirit of confidence and courage that can guide us on any path we choose to take.

What’s your favorite thing about Edmonton?

The amazing river valley

Who is your hero?

Doctor Mike

What is your favorite quote or expression?

The blind man who put his hand on the side said that the elephant is a wall. Another who felt its tail described it as a rope. The latter felt his tusk and said that the elephant is hard, smooth and like a spear.

What word best describes your graduating class?

Persevering

We often hear that as a society we are more divided than in the past. How can young leaders bridge the differences between groups?

I believe that the best way for young leaders to bridge the gap between different groups is to reject the rising trend of populism in politics, which necessitates intergroup hostility and promotes and allows extremism to flourish.

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