People often think my future is completely figured out. I have known where I am going to university since Grade 11. From the outside, it looks like certainty. It looks like I am in complete control. The truth is that the human brain always craves certainty, but the future is the complete opposite. It is very unpredictable and unstable.
I remember when I was first accepted as a prefect last year. As the new prefects and I talked together, we began sharing what made us most nervous about stepping into this role. Almost everyone gave the same answer: giving a prefect speech. I remember listening as others admitted their fears and slowly realizing that I felt exactly the same way. The thought of standing in front of the entire school felt overwhelming.
For those who don’t know me, my name is Émilie, and I am in Grade 11. Those who do know me, know my name and know me better know that I have type 1 diabetes. Today, I am not here to give you a lesson or for you to get to know me better; no, I am here to help you understand yourself better.
So far, my Grade 12 year has served as a reminder of one thing: time only moves forward. Grade 12 is special in that it serves as a sort of crossroads between what you perceive as the past and future. Those memories that you associate with your childhood seem to drift away as you accelerate towards the future.
Before attending Stanstead College, I did not participate in many team sports. My whole life, I skied during the winter and sailed during the summer. During those years, I did make my school soccer team and played for one season, and then a couple of years later I played flag football for two consecutive seasons.