I participated on May 19 in the graduation ceremony for the 2016 class of Robert Thirsk High School. What a joy that was! It was the second graduation for the school which has now been open for three years and has grown to 1400 ‘Comets’. Amazing. The ceremony was especially memorable since this morning’s graduands were the first cohort to have started and completed their high school journey (grades 10 to 12) at Thirsk.
The 2016 grads of Robert Thirsk High School celebrating a job well done!
I participated as a member of the platform party and shook hands with all 500 graduands as they crossed the stage to receive their diplomas. They made me proud. I was also asked to give an address to the students and pass on some life lessons. This is what I had to say:
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For the last few days, a song has been playing over and over in my mind. I’m not sure why – the lyrics actually irritate me. The song is called ‘Que Sera Sera’.
You have never heard of this song but your grandparents may know it since it was popular in the 1950s. In fact, the song won an Academy Award for best original song.
The lyrics that irritate me state that “whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see”. That sentiment is a little too fatalistic for me. Perhaps that was a good ideology to follow in the 1950s, but ‘que sera sera’ is not the attitude that an astronaut espouses. We prefer to have control over events as well as our future.
And ‘que sera sera’ is bad advice for a millennial to heed. It’s bad advice because our 21st century world moves quickly. Everything around us is in a state of change. Revolutionary ideas are constantly emerging. New technologies disrupt old technologies as well as society itself. It’s a competitive world and those who wait to see what will be, will be out-maneuvered and left behind.
As high school graduation approaches, you have undoubtedly spent some time pondering what’s next for you. You may be uncertain about your next move.
I cannot give you advice about your next move or about life in general. But I do know something about the pursuit of a successful career. I have been fortunate in my space career and have learned some valuable lessons.
For instance, I’ve observed that my colleagues with the most fulfilling careers share three characteristics:
- They are in a profession that they are good at
- They are in a profession that they enjoy
- They are working to make our world a better place.
Millions of people, unfortunately, are in the wrong profession and, consequently, they struggle. Their work-life is unfulfilling.
Don’t let that happen to you. My first recommendation is to target a career that you are good at. Pursue a vocation or profession that pushes you to peak performance and allows you to excel. Your teachers and parents have been observing you. They know you and what you are good at. They can give you some great advice, so talk to them.
Secondly, pursue a career that you will enjoy … that gives your life meaning … that reflects who you are. The right job will allow you to unleash your imagination … to be engaged with your tasks … to play hard.
The right job will also allow you to build enjoyable and enduring relationships with your work colleagues.
Take time to reflect on what things in life you most enjoy. You’ll need to do this reflection on your own. Since you are a unique individual with particular interests, your parents and teachers will be less helpful here.
Lastly, pursue a career that will add value to society … that will make our world a better place.
Throughout my career, I always felt like I was part of something more than a nine-to-five job … more than a paycheque … something that was more than just me. I felt that I made a difference in space exploration, science, innovation and medicine; that I enhanced the education of our next generation.
We are privileged to live in such interesting and progressive times. In my lifetime, I have seen:
- people walk on the moon
- the eradication of several diseases; and an increase in longevity
- the end of apartheid and communism in many countries
- all-encompassing data, voice and video connectivity with people around the world
Exciting stuff!
I wonder what the next half-century will look like? What will your generation accomplish? What kind of world will you create? It is, of course, impossible to know the future, but it is fun to speculate … to dream audacious dreams. I predict that in the next fifty years your generation will:
- find a cure for cancer
- achieve gender and ethnic parity in all professions
- see astronauts walk on Mars
- discover life elsewhere in our galaxy
Even more exciting stuff!
In addition, there remain some grand challenges that my generation addressed but that still await a solution:
- climate change
- social inequality and crime
- racial discrimination and ethnic tension
What do you consider to be the grandest challenge for the next fifty years? Get engaged in it. In fact, make a career out of it. Be the change that you wish to see.
‘Que sera sera’ is an out-moded notion. It died with the hippie movement. None of these grand challenges will be achieved without hard work, tenacity and sacrifice; without an infusion of new ideas, optimism and energy; without the educational base that you have acquired at Robert Thirsk High School.
In summary, pursue a vocation or career that you are good at, that you enjoy, and that allows you to make your world a better place. Spend time thinking strategically about your eventual vocation or career. It’s critical that you get this right.
I wish you success and many fond memories of your experiences at Robert Thirsk High School. You have graduated from a high school that is bold, forward-thinking, collaborative and relevant.
To the parents of these outstanding young people, thank you for being role models and for being consistent in your parenting.
To all, congratulations on a job well done. God’s speed.
