The Importance of Reflection
Prefect Claire (Year 12) is encouraging her peers to appreciate even the smallest of achievements.
Each week, our student leaders share their insights with their peers in Assembly.
My great-grandmother did not go to high school.
My grandmother did go to high school, but she left in Year 10.
My mother went to high school, graduated, and was the first in her family to attend university.
It’s only March, but this year already feels like it has been very long. An overwhelming amount has happened. I tend to get sucked into everything going on around me and forget to take a moment to reflect. I think we wait too long to reflect on everything that happens in our lives. We wait until big milestones like graduation or New Year before we finally look back to see how far we’ve come. Why should we wait? Already this year, you have completed six weeks of school. Today you woke up, you got ready, and you made your way here. I think it’s sometimes important to just reflect on the fact that we made it to school.
Too often, and especially as girls, we are told by society not to celebrate our achievements. It’s becoming strikingly obvious to me as I’ve grown up how girls are constantly put down.
I’ve experienced this firsthand, watching people respond when I tell them I have three sisters, by saying, “Oh, your poor dad.”
I find that such a strange reply, because having daughters is not something that should evoke empathy. Daughters are not a curse, a burden, or something my dad is supposed to struggle with, simply because of our gender.
When I asked my dad yesterday how he felt about having four daughters, he said, quote-unquote, “I feel like a baddie!” For any confused teachers, that’s a good thing! And that’s exactly how it should be, because despite what some people may try and tell you, girls are exciting and amazing.
When I look around the room, I’m so inspired. I see talented, motivated, and most importantly, kind people. At this school, I’m often in awe of every single one of you, and I hope you each see yourself in the same light.
Reflect on the fact that you’ve grown so much. You’ve had good times and bad times, but you’ve made it. It’s 2024, and you’re here! Let’s celebrate that.
Thinking back on my mum, the first in her family to graduate from university, I can reflect on how lucky we are at this school. Instead of being asked, “Will you finish school?”, the question is “What are you going to do when you finish school?” We have so many paths open to us, and it is important to reflect on the women before us who fought for the opportunities we enjoy today.
So, the next time you have had a particularly rough week, and are being hard on yourself, remember that simply getting through today is enough.
Keep reflecting and keep celebrating yourself! I can’t tell you where you will all end up, but I can say with certainty that it’ll be somewhere amazing.