For my fellow batchmates; the 2008 outgoing president's speech you all never got to hear:
Good afternoon to our Vice-principal, Miss Cheong, distinguished guests, teachers and fellow schoolmates. I am Fang Jia Jie, President of the 40th Student Council.
I stand before all of you this afternoon with mixed feelings. On one hand, I am proud and elated to have been a part of this prestigious student movement, and yet on the other, I realize how quietly the sands of time have slipped through my fingers and how much I had taken for granted.
Yes, I consider the Student Council a movement because its inception was with the objective of trail-blazing and establishing student leadership here at Anglican High. I recall the day when I was first elected as President and with much trepidation, assumed what is possibly the most important position a student in his or her four years here can hold.
The task that we faced was tall, and the giants of uncertainty seemed to tower above us. As with any new beginning, there would always be birth pangs, and these, may I add, were not a bed of roses.
However, I’m glad we dug deep, fought shoulder-to-shoulder and secured the fortress so that the next generation of student leaders would benefit from what we have achieved.
It has been a personally enriching journey for me. I’m confident that the student councilors who have served alongside me share the same sentiments. Regardless of the conflicts of interest and clashes in opinion, we all learnt that differences can be opportunities for learning and growth. What matters at the end of the day is not what happens but our response to it.
I want to thank the School for having entrusted me with the baton of Student Council presidency and the teachers who had been quick to listen, slow to judge and even quicker to lend a hand. I also want to thank all my friends and fellow Student Councilors for their listening ears, helping hands and generous hearts. Further, I want to thank my mother who was patient with and supportive of me even when I had to go the extra mile for my Council work.
To the Executive Committee of the 41st Student Council, do not be daunted by the giants that come your way because it is only through adversity that your inner repose and true potential can be revealed. Take every conflict as opportunities for greater understanding and unity. All of you – as one united whole – have the potential of becoming history makers here at Anglican High. To all my peers – the 40th Student Council – against all odds we have made it through the year. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be a servant-leader to you, and if in any way I had been less than exemplary, I ask for your forgiveness. One thing for sure: that as we put our hands to the plough, we developed a bond that time could never tear asunder and sown a seed that would surely bear fruit in time to come.
Thank you.
Nostalgiaaaaaa (:
