“Some journeys never have an end but worse are those that never begin.”

Every year of my time here at Hornby High School has been different, and each year has provided its own set of challenges whether that be in school or in my personal life. These challenges have pushed me further and further out of my comfort zone and I am extremely grateful for that. I was very anxious as a kid but this school has helped me grow in confidence more than I could have ever imagined.

I had grown so much as a person in Year 8 that by the time Year 9 came around I already wanted to work towards being a Head Student. So it is safe to say that being in this role for a year was an absolute honour.

My time here has always been about pushing myself to the best of my abilities, to get the most of every situation and that was especially true for this year. In music I performed at several music nights and they were all wonderful. All of these performances grew my confidence a lot and helped me express myself to others which has been extremely beneficial for me over the last few years.

The sense of community that has grown over the last couple of years, but especially this year, has been a pleasure to be part of. When we held our Musical Fundraiser for local families affected by the events of the 15th of March, it was extremely heartwarming to see the community come together in support after such a horrific tragedy. We did manage to raise some money for them, but it was the support that we showed for these families that had a profound impact on me. It made me realise how important it is to cherish everyone around us, whether it be loved ones, friends and family, or people we barely know. If we are all kind to one another and all show support for one another then we can start taking care of the bigger issues we are facing. It all starts with the people around us and if we can make sure we take care of each other then the world will slowly but surely become a much safer and healthier place for us to live in.

Our goal as a prefect team this year was to help contribute to this growing sense of community in Hornby. I think we have done a great job of doing this by bringing our school closer together and reaching out to the wider community in times of need. As a team we planned, ran, and participated in so many wonderful events. Hello Hornby, teacher vs staff sports events, and fundraisers, just to name a few. But the best ones were always the cultural events. These events showed the cultural diversity that we have here at Hornby High School and they were a pleasure to be a part of.

Through all of these wonderful experiences I have learned so many new things that have helped me through school, but there are a couple things that have been most important for me. The first is that it is important to work hard at the things that you don't enjoy doing. When you get the tough stuff out of the way early, it gives you so much more time to improve upon and continue to do the things that you love.

The second is that it is important to pursue your passion. If you have something that you love doing then it is worth doing. Obviously money is an important factor that affects the quality of your life. But, I believe that if you can find something you are passionate about and turn it into a career, that is far more beneficial for you in the long run. If you love what you do then you’ll work for it, because at the end of the day, it’s not only the talent that you have but the work that you put in, that will get you where you want to go.

Next year I am going to SIT Invercargill to study Audio Production. I am also looking into the option of doing a double degree in Contemporary Music and Audio Production in order to broaden my horizons but, I will wait and see what the near future holds.

I am so thankful that my journey started here at Hornby High School because if it hadn't, I would not be the person I am today and I would most certainly not be pursuing my passions. So as I make the next step in my journey I will always remember what this wonderful school has done for me.

Lachlan