Well, well, well — guess who graduated!
My journey through upper secondary school — or really, my entire educational journey — has sometimes been a bumpy one. It was by no means a given that I would graduate from a general upper secondary school rather than a vocational college. I began my upper secondary studies in the double-degree programme in information and communications technology at Turku Vocational Institute, or TAI. On the vocational side, I was quickly elected chair of the student council at the Juhannuskukkula campus — more familiarly known as OPKU — as well as a board member of the TAIKA student association and a candidate in the Turku Youth Council elections.
Before long, however, the slow pace of vocational studies began to get on my nerves. As a student still subject to compulsory education, I could not simply complete the required skills demonstrations and move on. And so, together with my new and good friend from vocational school, Paavo, I decided to switch to full-time general upper secondary studies in October 2023, after three months of double-degree commotion.
After speaking with our guidance counsellor at the vocational institute, we spent our lunch breaks calling the principals of different upper secondary schools and sending emails. Waiting lists around the Turku region were long at most schools, and it would hardly have been realistic to wait until we were ancient. Although ninth-grade Huugo, thoroughly fed up with Vaisaaren secondary school, had sworn that he would never stay in or return to Raisio, that is exactly what happened. Paavo and I headed to Raisio Upper Secondary School, where guidance counsellor Eeva welcomed us with warmth and understanding.
At Raisio Upper Secondary School, we were treated as individuals and as human beings. I still fondly remember our first lessons with teachers who would casually produce memorable one-liners for one reason or another. At RaLu, it was unusually easy to make new friends through people we already knew from lower secondary school. Those friendships grew even stronger during our study trip to Stockholm and Sigtuna in April 2025. On the final full day of the trip, we celebrated my eighteenth birthday.
The end… or was it? Things were not quite that simple after all. During my upper secondary studies, the positions of trust I had piled onto my own plate took up a great deal of my everyday life. My absences from school accumulated rapidly, like death creeping ever closer — and there were plenty of them. The outstanding teachers at my school were commendably flexible in helping me balance my studies with the rest of my life, and the guidance counsellors also did excellent work rearranging my timetables.
In autumn 2025, my cycle of absences deepened. What had begun as entirely legitimate absences caused by representative duties gradually turned into skipping morning classes because I simply did not have the energy. My nights became drastically shorter, and getting out of bed in the morning felt physically impossible. Nevertheless, the motivation and determination to pursue my dreams and help build a world that reflects my values continued to beat strongly in the background. Thanks to that drive, my energy for doing things gradually began to return after the turn of the year. New positions of responsibility, including roles in National Coalition Party organisations and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Scouts, also inspired me to take action again.
Throughout the difficulties of upper secondary school, I also had access to excellent conversational support, which helped me keep my head above water even in more challenging situations. Although studying itself was sometimes exhausting — and organisational responsibilities could be too — the most draining experiences were personal tragedies and major setbacks. Nevertheless, I have made it through everything so far, and I will continue to make it through whatever comes in the future. C’est pas grave.
Above all, I owe my graduation to those of you who listened to my rambling amid all the chaos. To those who patiently waited for my replies to messages, sometimes for weeks at a time. To those who helped me with everyday tasks. To those who found the time simply to be present. To all my old, former, current and new friends.
I suppose the train conductors deserve some thanks as well. The same familiar conductors have travelled more than 76,000 kilometres with me, mainly between Turku and Helsinki, during my studies. Joking around with familiar faces on those same quiet evening trains always helped to lighten the mood.
During my time in upper secondary school, I had the chance to experience some extraordinary things. Together with my friend Lotte, I hosted the visit of President of the Republic Alexander Stubb to our school on 20 August 2025. Before the event, we also had the opportunity to speak with the President. The visit attracted considerable media attention.
Together, Paavo and I helped make the work of the Raisio Upper Secondary School student council more systematic, forming a formidable chair-and-secretary duo. In recognition of this, among other achievements, we were both awarded several scholarships at our graduation ceremony.
Once again: thank you!