Welcome Merici Staff and Students. We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling 22, 2022. Like the beloved Taylor Swift, we believe that this year will be an absolute game-changer, filled with more fun, laughs, compassion, self-love, courage, positivity and studying than any other. As your College captains we are hoping that this year will be a spectacular time in your Merici education. We would like to give a very warm welcome to everyone, especially all of our new students who have just commenced their high-school journey with us. We cannot wait to meet you and wish you all the very best of luck in navigating the maze-like hallways of our college and working out your combination locks, because not gonna lie, after six years, we’re still struggling.
The College theme for 2022 is “Serviam” meaning, I will serve. We want this theme to be a call for you to make a difference in someone else’s life. Not because of who they are, or what they might do in return, but because of the person that you are, a Merici girl who is willing to put herself out there and support others.
Be it joining the Social Justice Committee to fight against inequality, volunteering out in the community, or even just holding the door open for a teacher, helping that classmate with their maths, or cleaning up a mess you – for once – didn’t make. There’s no sugar=coating it, times have been rough, for everyone, so we want to make it a priority, and a natural thing, for Merici girls to go out of their ways to lift each other up, make one another’s days just that little bit better, because kindness is the most powerful, underrated agent of change out there.
We know that COVID-19 has changed the way in which our Ccollege has been able to operate over the past two years, and that many of you may feel lost in the shuffle, having missed out on the incredible experiences that are unique to Merici. We promise that we will be the microphones that lift your voices up and will do everything in our power to make this an incredibly memorable year in which days are filled with joy, fun events and festivities. But, we also urge you to not let opportunities pass you by – don’t be a tourist in your own life, be an active participant. If you have any questions, ideas or concerns, let us know, but we’ll also be going out into the school yard in the coming weeks to see what you want to get out of this year and how we can help you do that.
Despite the journey that has been online learning, it is important that we use it as a time to reflect upon how far we’ve all come. The fact that we are all able to be at the school together, in person, would have appeared as an insignificant detail three years ago, but now to us it is quite the victory. Looking forward, this should be a time to set goals for yourself to aim high throughout 2022, and no matter how small it may appear to you, it’s another victory in our eyes. Minor things like actually handing in a draft a week earlier, connecting with your teachers who will seriously appreciate it and becoming more organised so you don’t have to change the dates in your references to make it appear like you did it earlier… they’d all be quite the achievement. If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we have to celebrate the small things, and not take anything for granted, we are so lucky to be here today, and should treasure every moment we have together. Let’s hope it doesn’t get taken away again.
We love this school, because no matter how old, how young, how new or how different you think you may be, Merici’s support for its students is ever present. We want to empower you all this year, to become the great women this world so desperately needs.
So, we encourage you all to seize every opportunity that comes your way in 2022, to risk failing at something new, build new friendships and repair those relationships that may have been left a little untended amidst the pandemic. Be that guiding voice in our community, try to see things from others’ perspectives, and remember that the little things you do actually matter within our community. Together with your friends, your teachers and the rest of the Merici community, you can live out a year to be proud of – in which every day you overcome obstacles, are inspired by those around you and are driven to succeed. We are so excited to lead and see you through what we feel is going to be an incredible year. Thank you!
Freya Spring, College Captain
Amy Stubbs, College Vice Captain
