Welcome class of 2025 to our last day as students at Stockholm International School. As the first class of students to complete the DP programme at Norra Latin, we are grateful for the opportunity to learn in a building of such significance. As the year comes to a close we would like to thank our teachers, parents and everyone who has supported us through these two years. And most importantly, thank yourselves for remaining committed to your studies and sane during this stressful and anxiety-filled period.
I’d like to start this speech by quoting one of my personal heroes – Oh Henrik Ibsen? – No Winnie The Pooh . “We didn’t realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” Wow, that is quite…what are the IB learner profiles again? Reflective? I don’t know, I used all my reflectiveness for CAS. The memories we made at SIS will forever stay with us, and we will cherish them during the years to come. When you look back on your time at SIS, we hope you remember the friendships you’ve cultivated and your shared moments of panic when you didn’t hand in your IA on time. This has been an eventful two years: school dances in the aula, the Nepal trip, the football competitions, and even Bruno’s videos for the Quirky Quibbler. We have all found a way to leave a mark at SIS and enrich the school’s diverse culture. It is through the rich tapestry of cultures at this school that we have been able to form new, open-minded perspectives, perspectives that we will be able to bring into the world with us.
For the past 2 years we have been split between our families at home and our families at school, composed of teachers, faculty and staff. As we stand here on the threshold of a new chapter, it only feels right to acknowledge and thank our teachers who have patiently given us advice and motivated us throughout DP. From Math and Chemistry to Film and French. We spent most of our time in a love-hate relationship with our subjects and wondering when the non-existent bell would set us free from the classrooms. Our fondest memories include Stefan greeting us everyday at reception, and Wandi cheering us up with her gleeful jokes. We were also never short of moments taken by Mr Ampuja, chasing us to meet our deadlines. However, your Star Wars’ jokes and supportive comments always made our day and math class a little easier to enjoy. And Mr Smith and Mr Arsenio, thank you for guiding us through our EEs and TOK – yes, and thank goodness that’s over. Finally we will have no EE to worry about this summer and no TOK exhibition to prepare for. A thank you to Mrs Ericsson for nurturing our love for literature and approving our last-minute CAS reflections. Every time we hear the name Stella, we will think of your class. Teachers, JSTOR, Sirius Revision, thank you for guiding us on this journey til the end of DP.
We are also grateful to our parents, who patiently listened to us while we complained about being 200 words over for our EEs, and who motivated us when we were sleep deprived and worried about our grades. Although we received great support from our teachers, the help we received at home was crucial to sustain us throughout these two years, and even now that many of us are beginning to flee the nest, remember that it was through your support that we got through these times.
Whether or not you know which path you want to take, you are not bound by the decisions you take now. That reminds me of a similar idea which, disappointingly enough, was not said by Winnie the Pooh: “Oscar Wilde said that if you know what you want to be, then you inevitably become it – that is your punishment, but if you never know, then you can be anything. There is a truth to that. We are not nouns, we are verbs.” Whether you are set in your path for university, jobs, or even a career, remember to live life to the fullest and that you aren’t bound to the decisions you make now. Cherish the small moments, and take pride in your accomplishments. Congratulations class of 2025, you are finally released from IB’s clutches. We wish you the very best!
