Talofa lava everyone, for those who don’t know me, my name is Leah, and I am one of your Pacific Island Prefects for 2022. There are so many things I want to talk to you about for my prefect speech, but I promise I’ll make this short and sweet. So, one message I want to leave with everyone here today is to love yourself and be proud of the person you are today, no matter what anyone says.

The person you are in this moment is enough, which is something I wish someone had told me when I was in Year 9. Do not misunderstand; I adore myself to the point where I laugh at my own jokes. But the aspect I love about myself most is the melanin-rich skin my ethnicity has blessed me with. I am proud to be brown. I wouldn't change it for the world. But sadly, I used to believe that my skin was nothing more than a burden. I tried to ignore the countless side glares and assumptions, but in the end, I never could. I didn’t believe in myself in my junior years. I went down paths I shouldn’t have and made decisions I regret doing, but that’s the joy of life. Mistakes are what make us who we are today. Educating yourself as well as acceptance are one of the many keys to a successful life.

Success comes in many forms. This can be through academics, extracurricular, or merely getting out of bed. Excellence wasn’t an aspect I fully knew about throughout my junior years. I didn’t do well with school work. I wish I could go back in time and throw a shoe at my past self, because to this day, I wish I tried harder.  I am 18, and I internally cry sometimes about the possibility of not getting UE because 13-year-old me didn’t care. I learn slower than the majority of the class, and it has taken a lot of time for me to realise that slow progress is still progress. That’s a quote on my laptop wallpaper. It serves as a reminder for me to breathe, and that I am doing okay. I forget that sometimes, well, all the time.

So, my fellow brothers and sisters, no matter what anyone says, keep striving because #hatersgonnahate. Juniors, keep up your studies since these two years set the stage for your senior year. If you don't accomplish well, as I did, just breathe and keep going. Year 11 and 12, we all know that if NCEA was a person we would wish both sides of their pillow to be warm, but you are almost there, so keep slaying the day away. And to my fellow Year 13,  we are so close and I am proud of us for almost reaching the end of the tunnel. We’re pretty much halfway through our last year, woohoo.

And a final message to all, is to be kind to yourself and to others. That is all.