Tēnā koutou i tēnei ahiahi, good evening, everyone.

Many of you may know me, but for those who don’t, my name is Tasmin Barnett. I had the privilege of being both Head Girl and peer support leader at Greymouth High School in 2019, so although I recognise the students before me, I think it’s fair to say you’ve all changed a lot in four years.

First and foremost, a massive congratulations to each and every one of you. Five years is a long time, and you all made it through the excitement, anxiety, drama, and fun of high school! I know when I was sitting here at my own leaver’s dinner, I had mixed feelings about leaving, and it took a while for it to feel real – so I imagine you’re feeling a bit the same.

Part of my speaking here tonight is hopefully to provide you all with some wisdom or insight into the future, and to give you some things to reflect on as you embark upon the next chapter of your lives. For some of you this may mean further study, while others may be ready to start working. If you’re anything like I was, you may still be trying to figure it out, and that’s perfectly fine. When I left Grey High, I was so unsure what I was going to do. When anyone asked, I had a speel ready about how I was “going to take a gap year before I go to uni to decide whether I really want to study,” because it was easier than admitting “I don’t know.”

Telling people you are having a gap year is always interesting. I had a lot of very well-meaning grown ups tell me they didn’t think it was a good idea, because I might not make it to university after a year off. Lucky for me, I had some great teachers who believed in my decision, and who gently reminded me – as I hope they did you – that university is not the be-all and end-all.

I had planned in my gap year to travel, but Covid put a stop to that. Because I was working in hospitality at the time, I spent not only lockdown but the months afterwards sitting at home – which gave me plenty of time to re-evalute my goals for the future. I’m an absolute control freak, and I like to have everything planned out. Unfortunately, as I am learning…life doesn’t work like that. I faced enormous stress over whether I was making the right decision in studying something I loved, but which wouldn’t make me big money. I wasn’t sure whether it was worth it, but in the end I decided to take the leap, so in 2021 I began my university journey in Christchurch, studying a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Classics. One of my lecturer’s this year described my class as the ‘covid generation,’ reminding us the importance of going out and exploring the world while we are young, because many of our cohort found ourselves on a slightly different pathway then what we might have expected. You guys, even more so than I was, are a part of that, and it is a testament to you all that you’ve persevered and are here tonight celebrating your successes.

None of my friends had gone to UC, so I faced the challenge of having to form new connections with strangers. It was here that I first really appreciated the benefits of going to a smaller school like Grey High. Most of the people I met had gone to schools with over a thousand people, and were blown away by the idea that my high school had under 500. I noticed a marked difference between my ability to find common ground with the many personalities I met, and that of my friends who had been at bigger schools. You will have all received this same trait having been at Grey High, and it will undoubtedly enrich your lives, as it has mine. Empathy is a great thing to possess, and I have found that the empathy I learnt whilst at Grey High has led me to find a dynamic group of friends at university, who I will have for life.

I flatted in second year with a group of girls I had met from the hall, and we stayed together this year as well – with the addition of one of my high school friends. It is a mark of the closeness of the friendships developed while at Grey High that Ashlin and I remained in touch through video calls and Sevenpenny-catch ups, during the three years she was studying in Otago. I always wondered whether it was true that you could stay close with friends from high school, and I’m glad I’ve got my answer.

Growing up in our community here in Māwhera Greymouth gave me a freedom to explore which I never fully realised until I left. Both my brothers and I learnt to drive on the back roads of Moana, and I spent many weekends exploring our beautiful environment with friends. I know these are experiences that you can likely relate to, but I also remember sitting where you were at my own leaver’s dinner and thinking that although the speech was nice, I didn’t seem to have much in common with the (quite a bit older) person who was head boy when I was a year nine. I think for most of you, you’ll be much more familiar with my two brothers Niko and Theo, so I would like to give you a bit of insight into what they have done in their first year out of high school. To me, it serves as a great example of the idea that ‘the world is your oyster,’ and to showcase that there is no right answer when it comes to your life.

I loved school, and academic learning. That is what led me to really push for excellence throughout both high school and university. Although they both enjoyed learning, Grey High gave the boys a different experience. They made a great group of mates and spent many hours surfing, playing rugby, and – I think some of your teachers can probably agree – getting up to mischief. Many of you have no doubt also tested some boundaries while at Grey High, and we are incredibly lucky to have been students at a school that created a safe environment to be young individuals and to do this.

Niko has just spent six months down in Queenstown working in a five-star hotel bar and is currently on a six-week solo-tramping adventure around Southland, before he jets off to Australia for more hospitality work. Although he still talks about the possibility of going to university in the future, his next plan is to backpack around Southeast Asia with a couple of his Grey High boys.

Theo moved to Christchurch at the start of this year to pursue a rugby dream but blew his shoulder out in pre-season training. This was a huge set back, but the months of recovery led Theo to put his mind towards creating a business. He is funding this new venture by working at Pak’n’save and is hard into strength training to be rugby-fit for next season.

My point here is that there are an infinite number of pathways out there for you all. I understand that this is a time of immense pressure, but the most important thing to remember is that this is your life, and you have the time to live it. Although we all have taken different pathways, Grey High is the glue that binds us together. I didn’t realise at the time the connection that would exist between myself and the others in my year level, but often I will randomly bump into someone – who I may have barely spoken to at school – and we will laugh about its quirks, and what we’re up to now.

The timing of returning here to give this speech is very fitting for me, because I have just completed my degree in Christchurch, and moved back to the Coast for a year. In some ways I am in very much the same place as I was four years ago, and I still get the questions around my plans for the future. Although I still don’t know exactly what it is I want to do, I’m realising that that’s okay – also that in most cases anyone who pretends they know the world’s answers is lying. I keep waiting to feel qualified for life, but as I packed up my flat last week, and said goodbye to my friends I realised that’s not how it works. It turns out ‘fake it till you make it’ is more than just a saying. This year is a building year for me. I have dreams of jetting off overseas in 2025, and in the last four years have gained confidence in the skills that I have, most of which I gained while at Grey High. When I left high school, although I was excited for my future, a large part of me was worried about having to take the next steps. Now, I can fully embrace the freedom I have to grow into my own person, and to make my life whatever I want. I am so grateful to my high school experience for teaching me to learn, to care, to value both myself and the efforts of those around me, and to embrace my identity as a West Coaster. Each of you has also been given the tools to go out and create the life that you want, whatever that means for you. The key to it – as soppy as it sounds – is to believe in yourself. I think there’s always a tendency when you leave school to either move on or focus only on the parts that you won’t miss. I therefore challenge each of you to reflect on all parts of your last five years, and to use your experience here as the cornerstone in creating your path to the future. I hope its everything you dream of.

Ngā Mihi.