On Tuesday 15 October, our Year 11 students were inducted as the 2020 Seniors at a special ceremony where they were each presented with their Senior Badge. 

The 2020 College, House and Co-Curricular Captains were also acknowledged and presented with their badges. 

Having 2 sets of leaders serve concurrently for the next 4 weeks has provided a mentoring opportunity, where our relatively experienced 2019 leaders are able to pass on what they have learned about leadership over the course of this year to the Year 11s. The mutual respect between the Year 11 and Year 12 cohorts was evident in the powerful speeches delivered by Imogen, the 2019 College Captain, and Tara, the 2020 College Captain. You can read these speeches below

IMOGEN, 2019 COLLEGE CAPTAIN

Good afternoon Mr Sloman, Mrs Stewart, Mr Foster, invited guests, Members of the SLT, parents, staff and girls. 

It is hard to believe we have already reached term four! It seems like only yesterday, that my cohort was inducted as seniors and leaders of 2019. And now, as the school year is fast drawing to a close, the time has come for the next cohort of girls to prepare to lead the college, which I have full faith that they will do with spirit, pride and teamwork. I know that I speak for all of the current year 12 students when I say that having the opportunity to mentor this group of leaders is something we have all been immensely looking forward to and feel honoured to be a part of. 

It is interesting to note that there has been a recent focus on girls’ leadership in the media. Last week, on the International Day of the Girl, the findings of an Australian study by Plan International were released. The project found that 91% of girls and young women have a strong desire to become leaders and to make a memorable difference in our world. So, this would mean that girls, nearly all of you sitting here today, right now, want to be responsible for changing our world for the better in some way. How incredible is that? What an amazing future we could all create together? 

Yet the study also showed that despite the overwhelming number of females who expressed a desire to achieve positions where they could make an impact on issues such as climate change, violence against women, poverty, and gender inequality, many of the girls did not necessarily have the confidence in their abilities in order to achieve positions where they could enact social change. This is why it is so important that this confidence to lead, the confidence to make change happen, is built from a young age, and here at MBC, we have some wonderful ways to do this. Leadership confidence can grow by being encouraged to be a rebel girl who can step up and speak out; by having inspirational role-models at school of teachers and other students who bring energy and commitment to making a positive contribution; and by being supported in leadership roles by other student mentors who can help guide you through the early days and any moments of uncertainty where you think “did they really mean to pick me?”. In doing so, every girl can have the opportunity to make a difference and make a positive impact on those around her. 

Leadership, as I have discovered not just this year but through all my years at MBC, has many rewards, but it also comes with a few challenges. So, I would like to take this opportunity to pass a few of the things I have learnt to the 2020 Senior Cohort as you embark on your leadership journey. 

First of all, stay true to yourself. If I am honest, sometimes I have compared myself to the leaders who have gone before me. I may not be as academically gifted as Georgina and I’m sure I’m not as funny as Ingrid, and it’s easy to get caught up in thinking like this. But, at the end of the day, you have to remember, girls: you are all loved and valued members of this community for the person you are right now, not for the person you think people want you to be. Having said that, be open to change and open to doing and being better. Never lose sight of your inner rebel girl – in other words: ‘Dream bigger. Aim higher. Fight harder’. Fight harder to be the best version of yourself and know as you do this that you have the support of the adults in this community. 

Secondly, leadership happens in many different forms, and I think this is something that only really hit me this year. You don’t have to be the best at absolutely everything. You don’t have to be the most popular. The most talented. The funniest, or the smartest. You just have to have a passion. A passion for change and for hope and for creating a better world. And in leadership, it isn’t always about making the biggest change in the world. It’s about doing small, kind, meaningful actions one step at a time, that will allow you and others to become better people; and allow a school’s culture to flourish. 

As my leadership journey and that of my fellow Seniors nears its end, I know that we have all come to appreciate what a privilege it is to be part of an ongoing legacy of leaders here at the College and to have had the opportunity to lead not just at MBC, but in the wider community. Through our legacy of ‘Breathe the Flames, Become the Fire’ we have strived to energise this community using spirit, passion and love as the fuel to do so. I really hope that in some way, somehow, I or another Senior has inspired at least one of you girls to be a leader - whether that be in your friendship group, your house, or in a co-curricular activity. 

On behalf of the 2019 Seniors, I would love to congratulate the Senior Cohort of 2020 on your inductions as seniors, and thus leaders of our school. We all have so much faith in your capabilities and cannot wait to hear about your Senior Legacy and how you put that into action next year. 

As you enact your legacy, remember the power of courage and hope. Have the courage to lead authentically and establish an enduring legacy in 2020. Hope, for big things. For a year where each of you uses your voice to lift each other and this community up. As a year level, you have so much strength. You have 101 odd voices with ideas for change and improvements and so listen to everyone’s ideas as much as you offer your own. 

And finally, enjoy the journey. Last year, something the 2018 seniors told my grade was how fast the Senior year goes. I didn’t understand quite how fast they meant. So, make the most of your final year at the College – see it as an adventure and an opportunity for growth. An opportunity to create an amazing future together. Thank you.

TARA, 2020 COLLEGE CAPTAIN

Good morning Mr Sloman, Mrs Stewart, Mr Foster, invited guests, members of the SLT, staff and girls.

I am truly humbled by the trust you have placed in me and am grateful for this exciting leadership opportunity. 

This privilege is not one I would have imagined when I came to Moreton Bay as a somewhat shy grade seven student five years ago. But, as I have learnt, life is about the journey, not the destination. 

My high school experience began with taking my greatest leap of faith. I could have taken the easy path by attending my local high school with the comfort of my primary school friends, or instead, venture into the unknown here at Moreton Bay, having heard about the wealth of opportunities available. With my parents leaving my high school decision entirely to me, I embraced my inner rebel girl and came to MBC, feeling that this is where I could reach my full potential. On my journey of self-discovery, this college has been so much more than achievements and grades for me. 

Over my five years here at MBC, I have been a part of several friendship groups, sporting teams and co-curricular activities; and have had the privilege of being the inter-year-carer to four lovely year seven girls. Every opportunity has enabled me to strengthen my skills, connect with girls across all grades, work collaboratively with others, and build meaningful relationships; helping me feel valued and a part of our pink sea. 

As College Captain, I know that I am not only leading a school but rather a community and the Bay family, which truly excites me. This is what makes MBC so special and unique, and why we hold the term ‘Bay Girls’ so close to our hearts. I hear it in the roar of encouragement from the sideline at QG sporting events, I feel it in the love and support of my friends and family, and I see it in the genuine care and passion from my teachers. When we collectively breathe the flames by embracing our strengths and differences, we each become the fire, thriving and soaring to unimaginable heights. 

This current Senior legacy has been successfully embodied by the seniors and every girl who has ventured with courage and hope outside their comfort zone. To the 2019 seniors, you have been dutiful custodians of the culture of our great school. ‘Breathe the Flames, Become the Fire’ is now well and truly part of MBC history and while we will soon transition from your Senior Legacy to ours, the fire you have fuelled and exemplified this year will continue to burn. 

As a Senior cohort, you have all been such positive role models for the school community and have led with compassion, maturity and integrity- and will continue to be MBC ambassadors. As we begin our Senior leadership journey, we are grateful for the opportunity to draw on your experience as leaders and learn from you. To the 5 College Captains – Imogen, Sarah, Amity, Lily and Theresa – you are leading by example, as the support and encouragement you have provided my fellow Captains and I as we step into our leadership roles has meant so very much to us. Thank you. 

Following in the footsteps of Imogen and previous College Captains, I aspire to emulate their admirable qualities. I will strive to be an authentic, caring and courageous leader who leads with a breadth of mind and depth of heart, alongside my 2020 senior cohort and fellow College Captains; Monique, Mya, Alyssa and Kayleigh. It is a pleasure to be working with such respectful and like-minded girls, and I cannot wait for the endless possibilities this next year will bring. 

To my cohort, in addition to being the first to undertake Year 7 in high school, we have been offered a unique opportunity to make MBC history as the first ever students to become seniors in Year 11 and to undertake the ATAR system. I am confident we will rise to the challenges ahead with courage and resilience, knowing we will always have the friendship and support of each other, this community and our family. By uniting each other’s strengths and unique qualities, I believe we will lead this college as strong, courageous rebel girls and weave our own legacy into the hearts and minds of the MBC community. As much as the maths teachers would disagree, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So, together, we will achieve more. 

In the wise words of Mother Teresa, a true rebel girl; “Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is a gift, make the most of it.” As seniors, we intend to meet this challenge with courage and hope, and make the most of this unique gift, and the adventure that lies ahead. 

Thank you.