Dux Assembly Elena Chiam’s Speech

Year 12 is a crazy year. It can be very daunting and overwhelming and exciting. So, to keep myself sane last year, there were three things I had to consistently tell myself.

1. Be honest with yourself

This is a great study tip, because just like the stages of grief, the first stage of studying is denial. You will tell yourself you’re studying. And you’re not. You’ll tell yourself you understand the dot point. And you don’t. You’ll tell yourself you’ll have enough time. And you won’t.

So, be honest with yourself. In an academic sense, this is clearly identifying what you don’t know and holding yourself accountable to learning it. In a non-academic sense it’s about checking in with yourself and being honest about how you’re going and what you need.

2. Ask for help

Every year, the entire teaching staff, the administrative staff, school families sees 150-odd people through Year 12. Every year. It’s only you who’s new to it, so if you’re struggling, at any point, ask for help from someone who’s done it before. You won’t regret it. Everyone is here to help you, and you’re not alone.

3. Be kind to yourself

I think about it in three sections, being kind to your past, present, and future self.

Being kind to your past self is forgiveness, not dwelling on what you can’t control anymore, what has passed, while being kind to your future self is planning, studying, investing time now to make it easier for yourself in the future.

Being kind to your present self is a bit more complicated. But I think the key to it is being very present. Remember to be present and deliberate about your time and how you want to spend it, because you’re still living now.

If you’re like me, looking at my face on the massive billboard outside, you might be asking yourself “how did this happen?” The reality is there are a lot of reasons, and most of them are in this room.

So, to all my amazing teachers who pushed and taught me last year, thank you, very sincerely. To all of you who taught me before that, or encouraged or helped me to continue and improve, whether it be debating or music, or sport, or in leadership - thank you, that is what made my Loreto Toorak experience so rich. And of course, my family who helped me to learn everything I’ve shared with you today.

Finally, my friends, my cohort, I’m incredibly proud of all of you, and all that we have (and will) achieve.

Today has been a wonderful celebration of success. Although, I’m aware that sometimes celebrations of success can do the opposite of motivate, and, as Dux, I feel a responsibility to not set an unrealistic expectation.

So, I want to assure you, that yes, I duxed the School, but I also failed my driving test. That I got accepted into Oxford but rejected from Aldi. That I’ve been stressed and overwhelmed, missed deadlines, and doubted myself. When I opened my ATAR I was very happy, but I was at my proudest when I walked out of the English examination, knowing I’d done the best I could, or with our band as we played our final song together, or while running around with Izzy on Feast Day looking at what we’d helped to create. Those are the moments that have made my year a success.

No one can give you a number that can sum up your success. Only you will know. So have a year you can be proud of. I’m proud of mine.