Good Evening parents, staff & students,
At the start of this evening I was quite nervous. Not nervous to speak or to address you all, but nervous to know that this is the last time I will be addressing a Community in which I have spent 13 years. During this time lessons have been learnt, such as how to be independent and how to lead, but most importantly how to understand others. In this school I have had the the privilege of holding many leadership positions. Whether it be my first position as vice captain of 7.3 to my tenure in the Social Committee later on, I am proud to say that I have been able to help others and make our community a microcosm of good within an often challenging, globalized world.
Becoming Head Boy, I have had to learn to sometimes support others over my own interests. A lesson which will serve me well in the future. Being a member of the New English School has given me greater understanding of our complex world. Both in terms of the diverse origins of my peers and of the different perspectives which may not have necessarily agreed with my own. Being half British & half Kuwaiti, I have found attending NES to be an extension of the fusion of cultures which make up my life. This has helped me to develop into the man I am today. Being at NES & a member of Sixth Form is not always a bed of roses. In trying times, we have the opportunity to develop both problem solving and communication skills. Understanding & empathy are qualities that can be difficult to use consistently; however, seeing others who may struggle to use them has given me a better insight into the challenges which some people may face. An emphasis within our Sixth Form Community is that of doing better and in the process helping others to do the same. This embodies that which I believe to be the key to our growth as a community.
This year as co-chair of the Student Voice it was quite interesting to observe the next generation of leaders come to the fore, and reminds me greatly of my first year in that capacity, where- believe it or not- I was quite shy but nonetheless, already opinionated. The Student Voice teaches our students leadership skills but also communication, which I believe to be the most important of abilities. Effective communication is the cornerstone to any stable society where value consensus is maintained. Without it, how can we separate ourselves from savages, for our ability to communicate can bring an end to war and suffering. In the past few years I have had the pleasure of writing for the Print and am proud to have seen its development under the Editorial leadership of Head Girl Nadine Soliman last year and Yu Fan this. Another initiative which I am proud to have developed and taken part in is the Duolingo Language Competition which was created to further linguistic ability. This has been successful in improving communication within our globalised community. In the last two years being involved with the Social Committee I have learnt a lot, both about myself and about how to interact with others. I cherish the memories I have of planning and executing the many events that we put forward and am hopeful that the Social Committee will continue to grow in the coming years.
I would like to thank my teachers, many of whom have encouraged me to follow and pursue that in which I truly believe notably in Languages & Sociology. I would like to thank my peers for teaching me many lessons on the social spectrum, such as conflict resolution and uplifting morale such as at sports day many years ago where I dressed as a red reindeer in support of my house. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of all the students within our Leadership teams for their never ending effort to improve our school and bring positivity to each and every corner. I must also thank my parents for the many sacrifices made in giving me the opportunity to attend such a diverse school community.
On a sombre parting note, I hope you remember all the experiences you have had, whether positive or negative and use them to make you a better person. I tell you tonight of all nights to break free of the ideological shackles of what you believe you can and cannot do and let any worry or fear bring you an obstinance so blinding, so powerful that you achieve the many things you were told you couldn’t do. I implore you to be in contempt of the words of weak men that hold past dogma to modern account and to be the voice that you so ardently deserve. For what is life but a series of trials and errors which make us who we are.
This brings me to a quote to which has been instrumental in the development of my personal philosophy “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.” – that is my wish for all the young faces on this stage to bring to the world.
Thank you.
