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Good evening, everyone! My name is Yianna, and I am truly humbled and honoured to stand before you today as this year’s valedictorian. I can hardly believe it myself, and I’m so grateful to God and to everyone He has placed in my life, helping me to get to this moment.

If I could sum up my journey in this school, I would describe it as a roller-coaster. Rarely ever did an uneventful day happen since I’ve been here. Now after all the time that’s gone by, my mind is filled with unforgettable memories – some a little more traumatising than the rest. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for the support of my family, friends, and supervisors.

I started attending school in a normal Montessori nearby our house. But almost every day my teacher would call my mom with the same message: “Yianna distracted her classmates” – and every time she heard that, I bet she thought, “What else is new?” When my mom asked the first time how I was distracting my classmates, my teacher told her that as I was the only one that was done answering my worksheets, I would go around and check what my classmates were doing, and often tell them what to do or what the answers were. This happened many times, so when our former pastor, Ps. Raj, invited my parents to an open house to check the school called Victory Life Christian School in Balestier, they went. When the A.C.E. curriculum was introduced to them, they knew that this curriculum was the one for me.

So in 2013, at 4 years old, I joined VLCS. I adapted quickly in pre-school, and I had begun to enjoy our dynamics with Mrs Laura when I was told I had to move up to Elementary the following year because I was already doing elementary PACES. I wasn’t so thrilled about it because Elementary meant no more toys and no more nap time. While my PACEs progressed, so did my antics to the distraction and dismay of my supervisors. My goofiness sometimes went overboard to the point that it was disruptive, and Ms. Joseph would have to text my mom to report that one of the toys I had snuck into class was confiscated again because I was distracting my classmates. I had always found it hard to focus, and there were so many times that I would rant to my mom and ask, “What’s wrong with me?” It was a difficult period for me, my teachers, and my family. I wasn’t always the easiest student to work with, but through it all, I had people around me who encouraged me and never gave up on me.

The truth is, I was and still am a work in progress. God knows it took time, patience, and a lot of guidance from my teachers and parents, who tried to help me understand the importance of responsibility and maturity. It wasn’t until later that I truly began to realize how my actions affected those around me – how my supervisors sacrificed their time to help me, how my friends were impacted by my distractions, how my own potential was limited by my lack of discipline, and how I gave grey hair to all those who had to deal with me. But it was through the tireless efforts of my supervisors and the prayers of those who believed in me that I eventually began to change.

One experience I will always cherish were the Regional and International Student Conventions. I first participated at the age of 9, and to be honest, I was terrified. It was a big deal for me – my first time traveling with the school and competing. But despite the fear and nerves, I found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The months of hard work, preparation, and prayer paid off, and it was through the support and guidance of my trainers and parents that I was able to succeed. This experience taught me that no success is achieved alone. God places people in our lives to guide and support us, and we are never truly alone in our challenges.

But not all my convention experiences were smooth sailing. One of the most memorable, and challenging, was my last convention – the All Asia Student Convention in Thailand. I had trained so hard, but two days into the event, I came down with a fever and couldn’t compete in the volleyball tournament I had been looking forward to. I was so frustrated that I asked God, “Why?! After almost a year’s worth of rigorous training, did you really let me come here just to fall sick and waste all my training? Was it all for nothing, Lord?” I was devastated. It was in the midst of that frustration that I learned a powerful lesson about God’s timing.

On the day of the athletics event, despite still feeling unwell and most people were advising me not to run anymore, I wanted to at least do whatever I could to finish the race. As I stepped onto the track with my team, I was nervous, frustrated, and unsure of what would happen. But as I began running, I felt an incredible surge of energy. My legs, which had felt like jelly moments before, suddenly carried me down the track. And with God’s grace, I was able to help my team finish strong and overall ended up placing third in the event. The next day, at the awards ceremony, I was amazed to find that despite my challenges, I had won seven out of my eleven events and even received a C.A.P. (Communication and Potential Leadership) award.

What I realized that day is that God’s timing is perfect. We may not always understand why things happen the way they do, but we can trust that He is always at work in our lives, even when we don’t see it. Sometimes, the challenges we face are a reminder that His plan for us is greater than anything we can imagine.

My journey here has lasted 12 years, and I just want to conclude by thanking my parents and family for always cheering me on and encouraging me to be my best, my friends throughout the years for their loyalty and for making stressful days more bearable, and finally every supervisor who was there for me and took the time to see beyond my antics. I couldn’t have done it without any of you. Although I can’t name every single supervisor, since it’s become quite a long list in the span of 12 years, I just want to say that I remember how much you all helped me and I appreciate every single one of you.

As I stand here today, I want to leave you with this message: Trust in God’s plan; Trust in God’s timing. He has already laid out a perfect path for each of us, and we can be confident that His plan is always good. Trust His provision and leading. No matter what challenges we face, we can rest assured that He is with us, guiding us, and strengthening us every step of the way. To close, I’d like to share two verses from the Bible that have been encouragements to me throughout my journey:

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” (Colossians 3:23 KJV)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:11 KJV)

Thank you and God bless you all.