Farewell 2026College Captains 

Farewell and Thank You 2026 Captains

What did you get out of being college captain. Was it what you expected Are you glad you went for the role? 

Teiva: I gained far more than I initially expected. While I anticipated developing my leadership and communication skills, I didn't realise how much the role would teach me about responsibility, resilience and balancing commitments. Most importantly, I realised the importance of taking breaks. Despite the challenges, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else during this year. I loved being one of the people someone comes up to when they have a question or a suggestion. It has been one of the most rewarding parts of my high school journey, and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities, connections and lessons it has given me.

Caitlin: Whilst I anticipated that I would develop my leadership and interpersonal skills, I could not have predicted how much I would learn about balancing my time and the importance of enjoying the moment I was in. Whilst there were times when I was a little bit stressed about multiple things needing to be done all at once, I found myself embracing the challenge because I knew it would be some of my last opportunities to give back to the college community. I also gained some wonderful memories with Teiva, Victoria and Lucy that I will cherish forever and built stronger relationships with people in Year 12. I am so glad that I went for college captain and so incredibly grateful for the chance to do it. Whilst sometimes it got busy and was a lot to keep track of, I genuinely believe that it was in those moments that I learnt the most about responsibility and working with others, which are valuable skills I can carry with me into the future. I have also loved the opportunity to act as a key communicator between students and staff, building relationships, core memories and experiences that I may not have otherwise had. It is certainly a role that I would not hesitate to do all over again.

Victoria: I gained a lot from this role. I developed my communication, leadership and time management skills as well as resilience and patience. I also grew closer to both students and staff. Although there were challenges and even some sacrifices that came with being college captain, I am so grateful for having this role. There have been so many opportunities and experiences it has given me.

Lucy: I’m so glad I got the chance to do this job. It was so great playing an important role in the school and representing the school on formal occasions, as well as leading SRC and being a role model for younger year levels. Personally, I spoke to previous school captains about what the role consisted of, so I had a rough idea of what I was going into, and I enjoyed it so much!

What were the highlights of the year as college captain?

Teiva: This might sound a bit silly, but most of the time when I passed a year 7 class the students would go "oh my gosh! Look! Are you the school captain?". A lot of the times I would say "no", as a joke, and skip off laughing. I will cherish the confused look on their faces forever. Aside from that, another highlight was growing closer with Caitlin, Lucy, Victoria, and Mr Ruff. They're a good group of people and I really enjoyed working with them.

Caitlin: I think one of the greatest highlights of being college captain was being able to grow closer and work with Teiva, Victoria and Lucy, who are the most hardworking, capable and wonderful people. I will forever miss our quick lunch time or recess meetings, and I truly don’t think I could’ve asked for a better group of people to share this role with. 

Victoria: I really enjoyed getting to know more of the behind-the-scenes workings of the school. Through meetings with Mr Ruff and School council, I learnt so much about Mullauna. I also really enjoyed getting to work with such a lovely team and getting to bounce off each others’ ideas. 

Lucy: Speaking at assemblies, as well as organising year twelve dress up days were the highlights of my time as college captain, but honestly, I loved every aspect of being college captain and would highly recommend people get involved in student leadership as it really makes school so much more engaging and fun. 

Any last words for our college community? (students, staff, parents)

When we first applied for College Captain, we all wrote about wanting to help others embrace courage, curiosity and community. Looking back, we realise that these values weren't just something we could teach others, but something the role continued to teach us.

To the students, particularly those on SRC, thank you for making our role as captains so rewarding through your willingness to share your ideas and perspectives, and for getting involved in the college community. You have truly made our role so much more meaningful through your engagement and curiosity.

To the staff, thank you for your guidance, unwavering dedication, patience and encouragement. We genuinely appreciated the support and trust you placed in us throughout the year (and every year). Thank you, too, for your willingness to answer all our questions, and for replying to our many late-night emails!

And to the parents, thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in the college community behind-the scenes, without which, the school would not be the supportive, engaging environment that it is.

If there's one thing we've learnt, it's that a school isn't defined by its buildings or achievements, but by the people who make it a community. We truly believe that everyone at Mullauna plays a key part in making our school community as uniquely special and inclusive as it is, and we’re incredibly grateful to have been able to play our part. We hope that in years to come, students will continue to feel they have something meaningful to contribute to make Mullauna their own.