The time is here. North Vancouver and West Van principals offer words of wisdom on navigating life as students head off into the world​.

​B​​y Abby Luciano, North Shore News

Sutherland Secondary principal Mark Barrett is happy to share some advice with the Class of 2026 grads as they head out into the world. | Paul McGrath / North Shore News​​

You did it!

It's graduation day – the day that felt so far away but is finally here.

As senior high school students wear their caps and gowns and walk across the stage to mark the end of their secondary school journey, a new path lies ahead. That can be exciting, but also scary.

Sentinel Secondary principal Mike Finch said graduation time carries mixed emotions – excitement for graduates about what they're pursuing in the next stage of life, but also bittersweet feelings as they walk out those high school doors for the last time.

Finch is encouraging the class of 2026 to embrace those opportunities ahead while also learning from mistakes.

“I think often the failures are what we learn the most from," Finch said. “I think often those people that [try and fail at things] become the most resilient, resourceful and in some ways even more successful because they don't wallow in despair. When they fail at something, they embrace it and go, 'Let's move on and find a different way.' That's what breeds success."

After high school, some students pursue post-secondary, others enter straight into the workforce or take a gap year to figure out what they want to do in the next. 

It can feel daunting to map out the next step in your life before it starts. But Sutherland Secondary principal Mark Barrett said don't be stressed if you don't have it all figured out.

“I think so few adults end up exactly where they thought they were going to be when they were 17 or 18," Barrett said. “Whatever your plan is after secondary school, don't worry about having the perfect plan. [Focus] more on becoming the kind of person who can adapt, learn and contribute wherever life takes you."

Regardless of the path, Barrett emphasizes “soft skills" like communication, collaboration, empathy and relationship building will take you a long way.

“[Those are] the qualities that make us the most human," he said. “Stuff like that's never going to go out of style."

With the rise in AI, Barrett encourages students to be skeptical but not cynical entering the world. A voice you hear may not be from the real speaker, a picture may be completely fabricated or a video might turn out to be fake, Barrett said. It's healthy to be skeptical of things that you see online, he said, but don't let that negativity taint you. 

“I encourage kids to be critical thinkers," he said. “However, don't let your skepticism slide into cynicism, where you question every institution. You think that everything is sinister. Look for the optimism and the good in the world around you, but don't be afraid to be a critical questioner of it as well."

Bringing that optimism and lifting each other up in the community is a sentiment Rockridge Secondary principal Trevor Kolkea shares.

“Really be part of a community, be ambitious, but don't be transactional," he said. “Measure yourself by who got better because you were there. Success means so much more when you bring others with you."

Community is the key, he said. 

“That community element will always be needed."