2025 Dux of the College

Dux of the College for 2025 was Elliott Stee, recently attended our Commencement Liturgy and Academic Assembly to address the College and receive his Academic Medal. Please enjoy a copy of Elliott's speech below.  

Hello everyone!

 

I’m very grateful to be here today, and perhaps more importantly, to share a bit of the cringey humour that many of you have come to expect from my speeches.

But before I get too carried away with the humour, I want to give some thanks where it’s due.

 

Because as much as I’d like to claim this achievement as mine alone, it definitely wasn’t. 

 

Something that I have always appreciated about this school is the extent to which its teachers invest in their students. You genuinely care about your students, and that care shows in the encouragement you give, the standards you set, and the way you take the time to support people beyond the classroom. That has played a real role in my own success.

 

Teachers are excellent at helping you notice things you might have been missing. So to the students here—make use of that. Ask questions, ask for help, and talk to your teachers, because they genuinely want to see you do well. For example, in maths, one of my teachers eventually noticed that what I might have been missing was… my glasses. Once I started wearing them, I became better at di-vision.

 

Joking aside, there are a few teachers I want to thank personally. So, to Miss Cathy Allen, Miss Cassandra Bolonja, Mrs Mikaela Cashion, Mr Liam Cooke, and Mrs Frankie Flanagan; thank you. Thank you for your guidance, support, and the interest you’ve taken in me as a student. Because of you, I’ve been encouraged to push myself, to learn more, and to keep striving for the best I can be.

 

There’s one other teacher I’d like to thank, who, despite her absence last year, has had an indelible impact on my education. She has always been a steadfast supporter of all my endeavours, and for that I am truly grateful. So, thank you Ms Jennifer Crowden.

 

Now, I didn’t want this speech to be just me talking about grades and thanking everyone. As, in a world full of conflict and division, it’s certainly worth remembering that there are many things far more important than marks. Because of that, I want to share a little reflection. 

 

So, while you’ve probably heard it ad nauseam, the truth is your results don’t define your future. They don’t measure your character, your integrity, or the kind of person you’ll become.

 

The students who go the furthest aren’t always the ones with the best grades, but the ones who can stay kind, listen, and treat others with patience and respect even when it’s difficult. While learning is important, and success is valuable, so is the ability to stay grounded and considerate in a world that often rushes to judgment and values confidence over understanding. Being able to temper our own certainty and still choose compassion is something that our increasingly uncharitable world could always use more of.

 

And so as I reflect on what matters, a verse from 1 Corinthians comes to mind, that reads in part: “If I have all knowledge … but do not have love, I am nothing.” It is a simple reminder that who we are matters just as much as what we achieve. 

 

I want to conclude by wishing the class of 2026 the very best of luck as they embark on their final year of secondary schooling. I urge you to embrace everything this year has to offer, and make the most of every moment.

 

Finally, to the entire MacKillop Catholic College community: Thank you