Graduation Evening

Greensborough College’s Graduation Evening, a time to celebrate the achievements of  the graduating Class of  202!

2021 Jagajaga Resilience Award 

This year, Federal Member for Jagajaga, Kate Thwaites MP presented the inaugral Jagajaga Reslience Award Emily Jose. This Award acknowledges students who have set an example through their capacity to adapt and respond. They may have overcome personal difficulty or hardship, or they may have supported others in the school community to be resilient.

Please see below the nomination written by Mr Maloney: 

In life, there are many things that will knock us down. They can be somewhat minor things such as our footy team losing or not getting the score we aimed for on a test, and they can be major things such as a breakdown of a friendship or the loss of a beloved member of the family. We all, to some extent, endure similar hardships in our lives however, not everybody is able to refuse to allow these burdens to weigh us down to the point of collapse. The resilient people among us have the ability to keep pushing forward, no matter what obstacles are in our way, and this impressive and not-so-common strength is everpresent in you, Emily. 

There are so many things to celebrate about your time at Greensborough College, and not everything came easily. Most of your accomplishments were very well-earned through hard-work, grit and determination, and you epitomise the ‘never give up’ attitude that all successful people share. Whether it was on Year 7 Camp when you thought that you could not climb further up the rock or when you weren’t sure if you could work up the courage to present your Passion Project to the class, you have always demonstrated this impressive strength to push aside any fear or doubt to get the job done. You would often step up when most others would have given up, and you always got back on your feet when the world pushed you down. You have shown the Greensborough College community the true meaning of resilience and if we were all half as strong as you, Emily, there would be nothing we could not accomplish. 

Congratulations on receiving the Resilience Award, Emily, it is thoroughly deserved and you should be as proud of yourself as we are of you.

Mr Shane Maloney,

On behalf of Greensborough College

2021 College Captains Speech

Teachers, fellow students, family and friends, welcome to the Year 12 Greensborough College Valedictory. We have tried to keep this speech short and sweet, which turned out much harder than expected. Although we suppose it makes sense, how does one say a short goodbye to friends, colleagues and allies that are all we’ve known for over 6 years. Not easily that’s for sure. What we do want to say though, first, is a huge congratulations to everyone here today! Throughout this year, many obstacles have come before us. Yet despite this, all of us have displayed resilience and perseverance when confronted with adversity.  

We have finally done it, we can at last breath a sigh of relief, as the assessments, the early mornings, late night cramming sessions and the never-ending SACS are finally done. So tonight, we celebrate all our schooling years, all the hardships we’ve overcome and the cherished memories we’ve gained along the way.  

We’ve spent the last 6 years within this school, creating unforgettable memories, from year 7 camp to our final dress up days and the random funny moments in between. We’ve shared smiles, laughter and even tears (maybe lots of tears more recently), so let this moment now be the milestone of your own successes. A moment to reflect on the positives and negatives and how each and every little steppingstone has led you to where you are today.  

Although this part of our life is coming to an end, this is only the beginning of a fresh and new exciting chapter. As we venture into adulthood, we will each begin our own separate journeys, with new opportunities which shape us into the people we are and long to be.  

May we all be grateful for the teachers who have been our mentors over the many years, teaching us the necessary skills in order to survive our high school experience. The parents which have supported us behind the scenes and our fellow cohort. We most definitely would not be where we are today without all the support you have given us. 

So tonight, at our celebration, we would like to thank our fellow students for the memories and experiences we have shared over these last few years. It has been an honour to get to know each and every one of you. We wish you all the best on your chosen pathways in the future and we are all extremely proud of you for making it through these tough times and completing Year 12 in 2021.  

Although we are sad that our time together has come to an end, we are also beyond excited for each and every one of you here today - because we know that graduating high-school is a huge accomplishment that represents just the beginning of what everyone here today can accomplish. We applaud you for your resilience throughout difficult times, your amazing growth from year seven babies, to the young adults you are now.  

Often on graduation day we look outside for heroes, but we see them right here among us. We have seen in our years at Greensborough College that one doesn’t have to look far for inspiration and that, instead, we each have the potential to make an inspiring contribution to others, by being true to our values and committing ourselves to set goals. 

When you leave here today, celebrate what you have accomplished, but look forward with eyes of optimism, as the future is within your hands. 

Congratulations Class of 2021!