Cross and Dux Ceremony
Last Wednesday, we gathered as a College community at Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral for our annual Cross and Dux Ceremony a wonderful way to begin the school year together in faith and unity.
The Cross and Dux Ceremony is always a special occasion. One of the most meaningful moments is watching our previous College Captains hand over the College Cross to our current College Captains. This powerful gesture symbolises leadership, service, and the rich tradition of our College, reminding us that each new generation carries forward the values and spirit of those who have gone before.
A very big congratulations to our 2025 College Dux, Joshua Bible, on this outstanding achievement. We are incredibly proud of his dedication and hard work.
Please see Joshua’s speech below.
Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for being here. I’m honoured to stand before you today as the College’s 2025 Dux. When I began writing this speech, it felt a little strange. I realised I hadn’t had to think academically at all since finishing my exams in October, and getting started was surprisingly difficult, mainly because I genuinely had no idea what was supposed to go into a speech likethis. But in the end, I knew I needed to have something prepared, so I simply started. And that’s really what this speech is about: just starting.
Much like how I knew I had to stand here and speak today, we all know when the next test, exam, or sporting season is coming up. And if we know that, then we also know that thework, preparation, or training has to begin somewhere. For me, that beginning was rarely perfect. It wasn’t sudden motivation or one long study session. Instead, it was small, consistent efforts made early, efforts that slowly developedinto habits. Those habits didn’t always come easily, and I definitely didn’t get everything rightalong the way. But if there’s one personal message I’d like to share today, it’s simply this: show up and do the work. Often, the best work is the work that goes unnoticed, the work thatquietly adds up over time. It’s easy to focus only on results: exam marks, awards, and moments that get recognised. But what truly makes a difference is the steady commitment behind the scenes, the hours spent reading, revising, practising, asking questions, or even just trying again after failure.Those are the moments that shape us, build resilience, and develop skills that extend farbeyond the classroom.
To the Year 11 and 12 students in particular, while that mindset is important, it’s also important to be realistic. The HSC is hard. There’s no sugar-coating it. NSW has some of themost academically rigorous courses in the country, with extremely challenging external exams. So yes, it’s stressful, and yes, it’s difficult. However, something I reminded myself of constantly was this: think of all the people whohave done this before. Especially in moments when a question or topic seemed ridiculously hard, I’d think, so many people have been in this exact position, and they still got through it. Last year alone, around 75,000 students completed their HSC.
That’s the key word,completed. They found it challenging, but they made it through. And if all of them could do it,then why shouldn’t you aim to do the very best you can as well? One thing all of those students had in common, including myself, was teachers. Teachers who showed up every day long before we did and stayed well after the bell. Teachers who answered the same question more than once, offered feedback we didn’talways want to hear, and pushed us to aim higher even when we were convinced we’dreached our limit.
So to every student here today, be grateful for your teachers and alwaysknow that there’s always help up at the front of the room. Now, to all the younger students as well, while it’s important to work hard, stay focused, and do some extra work outside of the classroom, don’t forget to enjoy your time here. School goes by much faster than you think, and before you know it, you’ll be standing where I am now, wondering how it all passed so quickly and having to get up and work 40 hours a week. Take advantage of the opportunities this College offers. Get involved in activities, sports, and events, even if they feel a little outside your comfort zone at first. Some of the most rewarding experiences come from simply saying yes and giving things a go, and I believe that this side of your life will often fuel your academics as you grow into well-rounded individuals.
Don’t forget to have fun along the way, something I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t always do enough of in my final year because I was so caught up in the books, so make the most of the laughs and work towards building a positive environment around you.
Spend time with your friends, enjoy the everyday moments, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have everything figured out straight away. It’s okay to make mistakes, to change your mind, and to learn as you go. If you stay curious,keep showing up, and make the most of each day, you’ll be setting yourself up not just for success at school, but for whatever comes next.
And as a final note, best of luck to this year’s HSC students. The best piece of advice I cangive from my experience is simple: show up, do the work, and put the reps in until it’s fluent. Results follow consistency, not motivation. Thank you.
Joshua Bible
2025 College Dux
