This year I was given the honor of serving the school as one of four head prefects, along with my amazing peers Emmanuel, Juanita and Jorja.

My grandma has always said that as you grow older, each year passes by faster, and I have never truly noticed that until this year. I’m sure my fellow year 13’s will agree with me in saying that your school years will fly by so fast and before you know it you will be like us, afraid of the unknown future. So, I hope all our current students make the most of the time they have at school, and don’t let it pass them by. Although it may not feel like it now, our high school years are some of the best years of our lives, and it’s important not to waste them. I know it may be hard to think like that now, and I know exactly how it feels to be dreading a difficult day of school, but as Dr Seuss said - “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”. School is a place to discover your passions and form life-long friendships, and I hope that every student who walks through the doors of Hornby High School gets the chance to do that.

I also encourage everyone to take as many opportunities as possible. We are so lucky to attend a school where we are offered so many life-changing experiences. Trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone are two ways of growing as a person, and although it seems really scary at the time, you’ll thank yourself later. Always push yourself to be the best you can be, but remember that your definition of success can be different to someone else’s and that’s okay.

I have become the leader I am today not by allowing high school to pass me by, but by taking opportunities and putting myself in challenging situations so that I am able to grow. I have been lucky enough to go on amazing adventures to Japan and Vietnam, where I was able to experience a life so different to mine here. The Vietnam trip opened my eyes to how lucky we are to live in New Zealand and to have a school community as supportive as ours. Travelling to these two foreign countries was a bit scary for me, but also extremely rewarding as I learned many new skills and developed my character.

I started off here as a very shy girl who never raised my hand in class, but after experiencing all I have during my time here, I have grown in confidence and developed my leadership capabilities immensely. I have been given the honour of not only being Head Girl this year, but also the honour of being the Board of Trustees student representative for the past two years. Although I was nervous at almost every single board meeting and felt as though I didn’t contribute a whole lot, I learned so much from the experience and am very grateful to have been a part of it.

As for head girl, to say I was surprised when I was announced is an understatement. I had always thought that I would never get an opportunity like this because it was made for the confident and outgoing students. But that isn’t the case at all, so don’t feel like you have to give up if you aren’t the most confident, because you always have a chance. My favourite part of being a prefect has been being a role model for the junior students, and knowing that they feel comfortable enough coming to me with their problems is a really special feeling.

Throughout my journey here at Hornby High School I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by brilliant staff members who have all supported me and helped me to become the best version of myself. I am so grateful to every one of you for all you have done for me.

Something that I have really enjoyed about attending this school is how I have been able to be immersed in a variety of different cultures while growing up. This has taught me to respect everyone no matter their culture, background or beliefs. After everything that we have been through, including the earthquakes, mosque attacks and Covid-19, I think the most important thing you can do in life is to be kind to everyone, as you never know what they are going through. This school has become a family to me, and I will always cherish the relationships I have built and the time I have spent here in a place where everyone supports one another.

As I move onto the next chapter in my life, I will carry this whakatauki with me, as it represents the value of supporting one another, which I have learned during my time at Hornby High.

“He waka eke noa” - We’re all in this together.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.