Oak Bay High valedictorians Justin Scott and Evie Faber are ready for life outside of the classroom.
In just a few weeks, the 18-year-old students will close the door on their high school careers, walking into a world they couldn’t be more thrilled to meet head-on.
“That independence is definitely something I'm excited for,” said Faber. “I love Victoria dearly, but I'm very excited to go experience somewhere else.”
Before saying goodbye to the hallways and classrooms they've called home, the duo has to deliver a speech to 300 classmates, hundreds of families and a raft of teachers at their June 19 graduation ceremony – a role delegated to one or two valedictorians every year.
The soon-to-be grads, who are both actively involved in musical theatre and choir, explained that much of their address will emphasize the importance of bravely facing life after high school.
“We're finishing one thing, but starting an entirely new, exciting journey,” said Faber. “We're allowed to make mistakes and just go off and be brave and explore and make what you can of this incredible life.”
This past year, the duo has had hours and hours to reflect on their time at Oak Bay High – years that have helped shape them into the teens they are today.
Raised in KwaZulu-Natal, a South African province overlooking the Indian Ocean, Scott’s experience in school there was vastly different from the three years he spent at Oak Bay High.
“Coming from a very rigid, more disciplined country, here it was a culture shock,” he said. “We didn't have to stand up and say good morning, we didn't have to be all goody two shoes to everyone.”
That freedom Scott found gave him room to bloom.
“I was able to grow ... to be the person that I am now – the person that is known for singing, the person that is known to be good on stage,” he said.
Faber, on the other hand, grew up right here in Oak Bay – a place her family has a deep connection to. She explained that her three brothers graduated from Oak Bay High. Her dad is a teacher there, too, and her grandma was even the vice principal in the 1990s.
“When I got to this school, I was so much shyer and more timid and quiet than I am now, and I've really, through all the different opportunities that Oak Bay has offered, managed to grow into myself so much," she said.
Scott explained that his favourite memory at the school happened just a short time after enroling.
"When I came to the school in Grade 10, I had no idea what musical theatre was. I didn't even know what a musical was," he said, explaining he accepted a teacher's invitation to take part in theatre after school. "Since then, every year, I have auditioned for a musical, and that has been a huge part of who I am today."
Faber expressed a similar sentiment, recalling the memories she made directing younger drama students in two Shakespeare plays.
"That has been my absolute pleasure and a privilege to be able to work with these kids and watch them grow into their own and find each other and find this love through theatre that I found when I was in Grade 9," she said.
In September, Faber is moving to Vancouver, where she plans to study biochemistry at the University of British Columbia.
Scott explained he's going to hit the open road after tossing his grad cap, hoping to see more of what Canada has to offer. He has also applied to the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria, where he plans to study for two years in hopes of one day making it to Broadway.
