MindRight.Info
Myles Mattila Grad 2017
The Place to Be
Myles Mattila
Author and humanitarian, Jean Vanier who served in the Royal Canadian Navy said, “Every child, every person needs to know that they are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs to be celebrated. Only when all of our weaknesses are accepted as part of our humanity can our negative, broken self-images be transformed.”
My name is Myles Mattila and I will be graduating in June, transformed. My time spent at Prince George Secondary School has been one I’ll never forget.
I write with mixed emotions. I feel excited about my future, which means you prepared me well. But nostalgic about what I’ll be leaving behind, which means I have enjoyed my time here.
My experiences here have been diverse and welcoming in nature. And, although I didn’t start at PGSS with many of my peers, I will be finishing my high school education here – an experience better than I could have ever imagined.
In the quote I read by Mr. Vanier, he alluded to our worth as humans and also, our weaknesses. Prince George Secondary School is not only an institution dedicated to helping students become better citizens; it is an institution dedicated to helping students become better versions of themselves. And for me personally, my time spent here has been beyond beneficial as a citizen and an individual.
Being a student at PGSS has an experience in facing my fears and weakness, while building upon my strengths and unique talents. It has been an opportunity to gain friendships and work as a team. It has been a time to progress intellectually and excel personally. I have had the fortune of playing right wing for the BCMML Cariboo Cougars and volunteered as an advocate for mental health. I have been challenged academically and worked to raise awareness of broken-self images.
Writing today, I realize I am not just graduating. We all are. I am not just better than I was before I entered PG. We all are.
We have grown, shared joy; celebrated, admitted weaknesses, collaborated and come together. We have been encouraged and inspired, taught to expect more and to forgive ourselves. Thinking back to when I first moved to Prince George, I wasn’t the best athlete. Not even close. But thanks to Coach Renzo Berra and our three seasons working together, I am not only more conditioned physically, I am more emotionally wise.
Coach Berra taught me many things, but if I may, I’d like to share with you three lessons I will take with me from my years spend here at PGSS.
1. Work hard and never give up. My parents also modeled these behaviours growing up. They are words I live by, and as an athlete, a student, a friend and an advocate for mental health, words I repeat daily.
2. Communicate effectively. In every class I’ve attended, I’ve participated in many group projects, met many new faces and delivered many presentations. One thing I’ve learned is to achieve the best possible outcome, you have to communicate effectively and work together. Anyone who has played a team sport knows, you’re better as a group than you are individually, two brains are better than one, working together is easier than working alone.
3. Know yourself. Grade 12 came with many new opportunities, but also many challenges – mostly how to keep everything in balance. When life is overwhelming, it is especially important to remember to let it out – talk to someone you trust. But, it is also just as critical to just slow down. Find a counsellor, play a sport or hang out with family and friends. Life can be overwhelming for all of us, but thanks to the support systems and intrapersonal skills I’ve learned, chaotic times can be best managed if you know yourself and what you need.
I guess you could say all of these lessons align with a personal value of mine, which is connection – also a theme for time spent here at Prince George Secondary School.
My grade 12 year has passed very quickly. If I could rewind time, I would tell myself to have the most fun possible, to not lose sight of the important people and to make the most out of every day. When things become challenging, don’t give up and always chase your dreams. After all, if you really put your mind to something, you can achieve it.
Today, we are coming together as one. After many years of group work, teamwork and schoolwork, we are embarking on our own, unguided paths. Whether you travel or go straight to post-secondary, whether you dive right into a passion or spend time searching, always remember where you came from and the skills you’ve taken with you.
I would like to wish every one of classmates the very best. We all stumble. We all fail. We all feel alone, we all have insecurities – they make us human. But we all also have the ability to share our worries, work hard to achieve our dreams and believe in ourselves. Never give up and always remember where you came from.
Myles Mattila
Myles Mattila Grad 2017
The Place to Be
Myles Mattila
Author and humanitarian, Jean Vanier who served in the Royal Canadian Navy said, “Every child, every person needs to know that they are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs to be celebrated. Only when all of our weaknesses are accepted as part of our humanity can our negative, broken self-images be transformed.”
My name is Myles Mattila and I will be graduating in June, transformed. My time spent at Prince George Secondary School has been one I’ll never forget.
I write with mixed emotions. I feel excited about my future, which means you prepared me well. But nostalgic about what I’ll be leaving behind, which means I have enjoyed my time here.
My experiences here have been diverse and welcoming in nature. And, although I didn’t start at PGSS with many of my peers, I will be finishing my high school education here – an experience better than I could have ever imagined.
In the quote I read by Mr. Vanier, he alluded to our worth as humans and also, our weaknesses. Prince George Secondary School is not only an institution dedicated to helping students become better citizens; it is an institution dedicated to helping students become better versions of themselves. And for me personally, my time spent here has been beyond beneficial as a citizen and an individual.
Being a student at PGSS has an experience in facing my fears and weakness, while building upon my strengths and unique talents. It has been an opportunity to gain friendships and work as a team. It has been a time to progress intellectually and excel personally. I have had the fortune of playing right wing for the BCMML Cariboo Cougars and volunteered as an advocate for mental health. I have been challenged academically and worked to raise awareness of broken-self images.
Writing today, I realize I am not just graduating. We all are. I am not just better than I was before I entered PG. We all are.
We have grown, shared joy; celebrated, admitted weaknesses, collaborated and come together. We have been encouraged and inspired, taught to expect more and to forgive ourselves. Thinking back to when I first moved to Prince George, I wasn’t the best athlete. Not even close. But thanks to Coach Renzo Berra and our three seasons working together, I am not only more conditioned physically, I am more emotionally wise.
Coach Berra taught me many things, but if I may, I’d like to share with you three lessons I will take with me from my years spend here at PGSS.
1. Work hard and never give up. My parents also modeled these behaviours growing up. They are words I live by, and as an athlete, a student, a friend and an advocate for mental health, words I repeat daily.
2. Communicate effectively. In every class I’ve attended, I’ve participated in many group projects, met many new faces and delivered many presentations. One thing I’ve learned is to achieve the best possible outcome, you have to communicate effectively and work together. Anyone who has played a team sport knows, you’re better as a group than you are individually, two brains are better than one, working together is easier than working alone.
3. Know yourself. Grade 12 came with many new opportunities, but also many challenges – mostly how to keep everything in balance. When life is overwhelming, it is especially important to remember to let it out – talk to someone you trust. But, it is also just as critical to just slow down. Find a counsellor, play a sport or hang out with family and friends. Life can be overwhelming for all of us, but thanks to the support systems and intrapersonal skills I’ve learned, chaotic times can be best managed if you know yourself and what you need.
I guess you could say all of these lessons align with a personal value of mine, which is connection – also a theme for time spent here at Prince George Secondary School.
My grade 12 year has passed very quickly. If I could rewind time, I would tell myself to have the most fun possible, to not lose sight of the important people and to make the most out of every day. When things become challenging, don’t give up and always chase your dreams. After all, if you really put your mind to something, you can achieve it.
Today, we are coming together as one. After many years of group work, teamwork and schoolwork, we are embarking on our own, unguided paths. Whether you travel or go straight to post-secondary, whether you dive right into a passion or spend time searching, always remember where you came from and the skills you’ve taken with you.
I would like to wish every one of classmates the very best. We all stumble. We all fail. We all feel alone, we all have insecurities – they make us human. But we all also have the ability to share our worries, work hard to achieve our dreams and believe in ourselves. Never give up and always remember where you came from.
Myles Mattila