Go Forth & Set the World on Fire C E L E B R AT I N G T H E C l a s s o f 2 0 2 1
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oys, we finally did it. We survived four years—nearly 800 school days! But, there were times where we doubted ourselves and we didn’t think we would make it. I think back to freshman orientation, and all the nerves I felt. There were so many people and new faces yet I knew none of them and felt alone. You had the SJB kids on the left, the Charleswood survivors on the right, and everything in between. To this day I thank God that Ben Timmons had faster reflexes than me when Mr. Watson asked for a volunteer to act as the bell during the fire drill. That would have been a hard moment to live down. Coming from a small, fully French school in Windsor Park that most of you have never heard of, I was so intimidated by the size of this school and the weight that its name alone carried. I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be able to succeed here, and compete with more seasoned private school students and I know that many of you felt the same way. Then I think of the first day of class— period 1 ELA—and I was blessed enough to be with the one and only Mr. Tyler Kelsch. I remember a bunch of short, skinny, pimple-faced 14 year olds walking in one after the other with so much fear in our eyes. Then, poor Owen Fenton had to be the one kid that got lost and showed up after the bell. For some reason, he thought he was Justin Timberlake in NSYNC and had brought back the frosted tips. Kelsch didn’t hesitate to flame him about the fact that his eyebrows did not match his hair colour. I saw Owen standing there like a deer in headlights and at that moment I knew this was gonna be a great school. And over four years, we’ve lived through so many different moments together, both good and bad. As Scott Lillie put it, we watched the school drag in a stranger off the streets to teach us history; although he did turn out to be a pretty great guy. We raided the football locker room for snacks at night during TFR. We got caught
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raiding the locker room for snacks at night during TFR.
say that I was a part of this group of men.
The adventures of the grounds’ crew at the mall in grade 10, the Virgin Mary statue mysteriously breaking in the chapel (and Ms. Kochanski losing it on us because of it), Farouk turning the bathroom into a barbershop and giving people egregious haircuts, watching the football team win the Anavets bowl in the snow, watching CruPuck A comeback and win in OT against Massey in the playoffs, homecoming…and the events after homecoming (glad you’re ok Owen), and so many more.
As I conclude my speech, I’d like to leave you all with a quotation from Pope Saint John the 23rd that I hope will serve as guidance for you all in years to come:
I am honoured to have been chosen as valedictorian but there so many more who could have taken my place. We have Michael Tan and Avery Stubbings who might just be the two smartest people in this city. Then you have D1 athletes such as Zachary Lytle, or our very own three star recruit Trae Tomlinson. I could stand here and name all of our various achievements, but we would be here till tomorrow. That is a testament to the talent and potential that this group of men has. As I look out into this crowd of vehicles, through the windshields and tinted windows, I see our future doctors, lawyers, politicians, professional athletes, and even teachers, and I couldn’t be more proud to say that I am a member of this group. No matter where life takes you gentlemen, I want you to think back to all of your trials and tribulations at St. Paul’s. Think to our first exams in grade 9 where most of us had 10 different exams to study for! It seemed like an insurmountable task at the time, yet we got through it. Many of us took university level courses. My AP English boys, I know you’ve had enough of William Zinsser. Calculus boys, I know we might cry if we’re asked to find one more darn integral. It seemed like it was too hard, and we questioned why we even signed up for these courses…but we got through it. And we survived our two hardest years of school during a global pandemic! Look at us now! We got through all of it! And that’s exactly what it means to be a Crusader. We fought the good fight, we ran the good race, and we kept the faith. I couldn’t be prouder to
THE CRUSADER | WINTER 2022
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” Thank you St. Paul’s. Thank you teachers and staff. Most importantly, class of 2021, my boys, my brothers, thank you. Thank you for these amazing four years. They say the best part about St. Paul’s is the brotherhood, and I couldn’t agree more. Wherever life may take us, know that you will forever have family in me. I love you, thank you! Emmanuel-David Kwilu-Kama ’21 Valedictorian
