Governor congratulates Class of 2024

This week has seen students across Queensland graduating from high school and entering the next phase of their young lives.

Ceremonies of all sizes — and some of them simply epic, like that held for Wavell State High School graduates at the South Bank Piazza and attended by the Governor — took place across the state to mark this momentous occasion.

The Wavell State High School ceremony on Friday was attended by staff and the wider school community, with the stands full of proud family members and friends.

It included reflections by Wavell SHS Principal Elizabeth Foster, the 2024 School Captains, and former student Brianna Thompson, whose exploits include becoming the youngest person to swim the English Channel in one day — at age 17, the year after she graduated.

The Governor noted graduates were not only celebrating their academic achievement but also their personal growth, and the friendships and memories they had made throughout their school journey.

“Today marks the moment when you are celebrated for what you have accomplished at school, in and out of the classroom, for who you have grown into, for what you meant to those around you, and for what they meant to you,” she said. “Today will also turn your thoughts to what you will become in the next phase of your life – where you wish to go, how you wish to get there, and who will accompany you on this next adventure.”

She urged them to “step off courageously into your future”.

Congratulations to Queensland’s Class of 2024. You have done us proud!