Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
Farewell Year 12
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dr Seuss
Spring is a season that brings mixed emotions – for those who suffer from hay fever it is a torturous time of the year while for those who loathe the cold the promise of summer’s warmth is a godsend. For me it is always about growth – I gain great pleasure from watching my Chinese Elms glisten with new leaves as the old leaves decay and nourish the soil beneath the tree – an endless cycle of growth. And so too do I feel this way at school as our Year 12 students prepare to voyage off into the great blue yonder. The child who came to the College in 2015 leaves us now an adult.
Graduation speeches and advice abound at this time of year. One of the best pieces of advice I read was from Michael Macqueen in 2013. In his article he outlined five key points for school leavers that I think is timeless and worthwhile for all of us to remember:
“1. Sometimes there is a loser: While every runner in the race at school may have gotten a ribbon, life simply doesn't operate the same way. Sometimes there are losers. Sometimes you don't get the job. Sometimes you will face disappointment and even constructive criticism. It's not that your boss (or the universe) is ganging up on you. Failure is simply an opportunity to get better not bitter. Learn from it without getting resentful or defensive.
2. Just because it's hard, doesn't mean it is wrong: Unlike your parents who were raised being told that life was never meant to be easy, you have been told the very opposite message by advertisers and pop culture - that if life isn't easy, then something is wrong. If the relationship gets hard? Wrong person. Subject at TAFE/Uni is difficult? Wrong course. Job gets tough? Wrong career path. The problem with this is that every worthwhile pursuit starts off being difficult. Mastery however lies on the other side of hardship. It is in the challenges that your capacity is increased, your character will be forged and your resilience is strengthened. Sometimes life is hard and that's OK. Your grandparents were right - what doesn't kill you will truly does make you stronger.
3. There is no such thing as a job that's 'beneath you': Your Baby Boomer parents had the best of intentions in setting you up to have 'all the things they never had.' You have been raised to believe that you deserve the best and that's not a bad thing. Don't be fooled though: you're not entitled to the best - just the opportunity to attain it. Starting at the bottom is not beneath you. Menial work is not just a necessary function of our economy but also a rite of passage most of us need to go through. So brace yourself for the reality that you probably won't start out in middle management. Your first job may not be an experience of self-actualising bliss, and you may not earn more than $30,000 in your first year. Every ladder has a first rung for a reason - start there.
4. Your attitude matters more than your academic results: Contrary to all that your well-meaning and hard-working teachers have told you, the rest of life will not hinge on exam results and tertiary entrance rankings. Sure, good marks give you options and make your parents proud, but in the real world attitude counts for everything. The good news is that employers will quickly overlook the poorest academic results if they see you are hard-working, teachable, reliable and just plain-old polite.
5. Your inexperience is your greatest asset: While every job you apply for will say you need experience, remember it is your inexperience that is actually your greatest asset. You are entering a work world where countless organisations and employees are operating on autopilot - doing things a certain way because that's the way it's always been done. Your fresh eyes and unblinkered perspective can be the greatest source of innovation and creativity for your future employers. You will have a unique ability to offer an out-of-the-box perspective simply because you don't know what the box even looks like just yet. This is powerful. Ask questions. Challenge the status quo. But remember, do this with humility and a willingness to learn and you'll earn huge respect from those around you.”
The Year 12 of 2020 have had to face challenges not experienced by teenagers in Australia since World War II. I have been impressed and heartened by the way our young people have risen to the occasion. They have displayed important qualities that will stay with them a lifetime – resilience, good humour, perseverance and positivity in the face of uncertainty. I feel confident that they will be able to embrace the new but exciting future with energy, fearlessness and a strong social conscience that looks to make the world a better place for all.
And so as Term 3 draws to a close there is little left for me to say except go with my best wishes, prayers and love.
The following is a prayer that the Irish would say as they left the security of what they knew for the unknown, dangerous, yet hopeful shores of Australia. Thus as Year 12 leave the sanctuary and safety of school for the exciting possibilities of the future I pray:
O Lord, be thou
Their light and guide.
Make straight the path.
Give your shelter
And your comfort unto them.
Harbour them in this,
Their present journey,
As in their larger one
That begins and ends in you.
Be ever at their side,
Till homewards they come.
Amen.
Mr Mick Larkin - Assistant Principal - Pastoral