Courage at Marian

College, Ararat

he Year of Courage - 2023

Courage is a quality that holds profound significance as students navigate their secondary years. It is that inner strength that enables them to face the challenges of life, to act and speak with integrity, embrace opportunities, and stand up for what is right and just. 

2023 started well for our staff and students at Marian College. Students were excited to be onsite, the Year 12 Retreat and Year 7 Formation Camp went well, and there was a positive buzz in the air. Life was good! Little did we know that life would change very quickly for our students and staff with the tragic loss of a senior student late in Term 1. We know that adolescence is a crucial time for personal growth and development but nothing could have prepared our students to face the uncertainty of this time. As adults, we did not have the answers they craved and needed. This was outside our teaching realm and expertise.

Looking back many months later, I feel very privileged to have witnessed the incredible strength and courage of our staff throughout this period, who despite their own grief and vulnerabilities, worked tirelessly to ensure our students were well cared for, listened to, and supported through one of the most difficult times at Marian. Small gestures were appreciated from both within and well beyond our community. Out of this tragedy, so many wonderful examples of compassion, empathy and courage arose. We will remember the loss of one much-loved young student and the courage shown by so many at this time and since.

There are few Marian College celebrations that rival St Brigid’s and Fred Hyde Day, and the annual College Production. Both provide opportunities for students to step outside their comfort zone and participate in activities that play into their vulnerabilities and fears.

This year's production of the Addams Family was a roaring success - not just for the entertainment value but for the way the cast and crew embraced their vulnerabilities and respected diversity. It is a passionate teacher who can encourage and motivate students who would not normally speak or act in a public forum, to step with confidence onto a stage and sing and dance for the broader community. This demands courage and self-assurance. There were so many brilliant performances, but behind the scenes and glitter of the night, knowing the hurdles many of these students have faced in their personal life, to then take to the stage made this experience so poignant and celebratory for staff. I am often in awe of the resilience and courage of our students who we know face some real challenges in life. Even as an adult, I am not sure we would navigate this as well under such circumstances. This is courage lived on a daily basis for me.

Friday was St Brigid’s and Fred Hyde Day. What a brilliant day! No, I did not win the Sister John bingo or come close. Thanks to all involved in the preparation of the day but especially to Sister John for her talk to students on the Brigidine story. The focus throughout the afternoon is to empower students with a voice and action for the vulnerable - our kindergarten in Bhola, Bangladesh. For thirty years the Fred Hyde foundation (Co-operative in Development - CO-Id) has been building schools and kindergartens in one of the poorest areas in Bangladesh. These provide much needed education and hope for students who would not otherwise receive what so many of us take for granted. Marian College has embraced this worthy cause providing much needed funds every year since 2012. Today resources help provide classroom resources and fund teachers.

Marian’s Got Talent has to be a highlight of the day. Here the brave, the talented, and the courageous entertain and inspire us all. There is a vulnerability and trust that all students will be treated with care and real encouragement. What we see each year is a community that values inclusivity, compassion and justice for people who have been deprived of their fair share in life, and an awareness that despite the challenges we face in life, there are so many across the world so poorly disadvantaged. Allowing our students to voice their concerns and to act for justice about one small population in Bhola, Bangladesh, I am sure will foster a generation of students that values empathy, compassion, social responsibility and courage. 

Carmel Barker- Principal