Julie graduated from King George a few years ago now, but she is the sort of student that none of her teachers will ever forget. What an incredible student! And a wonderful person!
I remember Julie once told me (I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this) that the reason she first moved from the Philippines is that her parents were worried that she wasn't taking her school seriously enough. Well, I don't know what happened upon her arrival to Canada but, by the time she graduated, she was one of the best students I have ever encountered. Student Council President, Top KG Student in her grad class, School Fairy (a title she generously passed on to me when she graduated)... the accolades go on and on.
Julie always tried to do her best - ALWAYS! I remember marking her math homework and she would have little notes written to herself beside her work: "remember to multiply by the reciprocal" or "this type of question is common" or "lowest terms!" or something similar. It's a little thing but it always impressed me. Here was a girl whose focus was not merely to get the homework DONE, but rather to actually LEARN it! A teacher couldn't ask for more than that!
When I took French 12 with Julie (yes, you read that correctly. I took the entire French 12 course on my Prep block a few years ago. Thanks Madame Esnault!!) I had the pleasure of doing one of the big projects with Julie as my partner. I remember feeling a tiny bit of stress: "Can't let Julie down. Gotta work extra hard for Julie. etc". But I really didn't need to worry even a little bit because...
The BEST thing about Julie is that she is honestly one of the kindest people I have ever met. Never mind seeing it, I can not even imagine Julie saying a bad thing about someone else. She is authentically warm, caring, and interested in everyone she encounters. What a rare (and beautiful) trait.
Since graduating Julie has been on a journey of self-discovery, trying to figure out which area of study is best for her. This is a difficult decision for any student, but especially for one like Julie, with her wide-range of interests and ability to succeed in ANY field. I am so proud of her for having the courage to discontinue her studies in the Sciences. Not because I am against the Sciences (I have a Biology degree after all!) but because she realized this was not the area were her true passion lay. Why continue with something that is of little interest to you? Good choice Julie!
Now Julie is taking business courses and, in her own words, "I really am enjoying my classes right now, Mr. Wadge". Nice! And even better: "all i know right now is that my skills do suit the courses that I'm taking and it feels like the business field is a place where I can be in". Take a lesson from Julie: don't study what (or where) you think you should. Do what inspires you, excites you, speaks to you...
Thank you Julie for all the kindness you have sent my way over the years. You have afforded me a great deal of happiness, pride, and laughter.