By Nancy Rowe, Former Student
Wow. What an amazing room of high achievers I see before me.
Each and every one of you, regardless of whether or not you received an award today, should be proud of what a fantastic year you’ve had, and how hard you have worked.
Congratulations to those of you that have won prizes – you’ve shown a stellar effort across the course of the year and hopefully this will give you the confidence to strive to be the best throughout your academic career, and later in life.
Receiving recognition is a fantastic feeling, which evokes excitement, pride and a great sense of achievement. But everyone in this hall can feel this same sense of achievement, regardless of the honours you may or may not receive.
As it has recently been Wimbledon fortnight, I thought I’d look to the wise words of one of the world’s best tennis players – Rafael Nadal – who’s having a bit of a rough patch at the moment. He said “The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoying every day, enjoying to work hard, trying to be a better player than before.”
Look at CCHS as an example. When I joined S House (now Stewart, I believe) the school was already semi-famous for its incredible facilities, studious girls and engaging teachers. I could only have dreamed of getting into the school and when I received my letter confirming my place, I could barely believe it.
Standing on this stage today, I am amazed by the developments I see around me. Brand new buildings, an increased number of impressively bright girls, and an abundance of awards. Such huge and positive changes in such a short space of time. Your school has not sought glory by “winning here or there” but by making sure every day you are all working hard, building your community and practicing skills that you will take with you throughout life.
Of course CCHS picks up accolades over time, but what really stands out for me is the glory that comes with enjoying every day and relishing in academic challenge.
Download full speech below.
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