Wavell State High School Graduation Ceremony

Member for Nudgee, Ms Leanne Linard MP; Wavell State High School Executive Principal, Mrs Elizabeth Foster, Deputy Principals and staff; School Captains; graduates; students, families and guests.

I too, begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

What a special occasion this is for so many people this morning, witnessing the graduation of the Year 12 students who comprise the Wavell State High School class of 2024. I know I am delighted to be here and to play a small part in this important occasion on the school’s calendar.

Wavell State High School is a highly respected place of learning, and I know that you will feel honoured to have completed your education within its bounds. Many other students have come before and no doubt many others will follow, but today - Year 12s - it is all about you. This is your special time.

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.

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. These are thoughts to savour.

And there are many people to savour this moment and those thoughts with you. These people have been so very important to you as you have travelled along your schooling road.

On your behalf I would like to thank Wavell State High School leaders, teachers and wider school staff who have shared their knowledge and their passion for learning in a broad array of fields with you.

To your families and friends, the people who have endured the highs and the lows of the emotional journey that constitutes a school education, I am sure all Year 12 students know just how significant a role you have played in their lives. They could not have reached this milestone without your input and support.

To the younger students at Wavell State High School who have looked up to you, applauded your efforts and who plan to follow in your footsteps, you too have been crucial in developing the characters of the Year 12 graduates we are honouring today.

So - step off courageously into your future. And whilst the components of that future are yet to become clear, you can go forward knowing that you have been equipped for whatever lies ahead by the principle reflected in your school motto, that ‘It is better to be, rather than to just seem’.

I congratulate the Year 12 graduates of Wavell State High School and wish you all the best for the future. Thank you.