On Thursday, June 4, the English department hosted the first grade 12 public speaking showcase in the Chapel, where 14 students delivered speeches in response to the prompt: This I Believe. “This I Believe” is an essay-writing project based on the popular 1950s NPR radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow. The Shawnigan English teachers decided that a fitting way to end the year with our grade 12s was to have them share some of their core beliefs. All the grads had an opportunity to deliver their speeches before their classes and then each class chose two classmates (for a total of 14) to move forward to the showcase evening. These 14 grads’ speeches ranged from heart-wrenching to gut-splitting as they spoke about some defining moments in their lives, and the accompanying lessons that continue to guide them today – lessons that then grew into beliefs.

– Cari Bell, Head of English

You can hear the speeches on the livestream video below.