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Melbourne,

November 3, 2024 10:36 am

Mollie Williams, aged 13, Mentone Girls Secondary School (School Captain of Balcombe Grammar)

The Graduation Speech of Mollie Williams after completing the entire SHINE curriculum:

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!

At the start of this year I walked into Shine a shy, yet excited, young girl but I don’t stand in front of you all today as that little girl any longer. I stand here as an assertive and somewhat resilient young lady and as a Shine PH.D graduate for December 2011.

I have so many people to thank, to my incredible Mum, Dad, my 2 sisters and my amazing little brother Carter for not only driving me here and home again every Thursday afternoon but just for being by my side so supportively for the last 13 years. I love you all so much.

To the awesome girls who sit behind me today, who not only made my Thursday afternoons the best ever, but for being so beautiful, inside and out.

And finally to Miss Anderson, who has been such an amazing teacher and friend to me for the past 4 terms. I have learnt so many ‘tricks’ and ‘skills’. I thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart.

So I leave Shine now as an ‘assertive hero’ and I know that I will walk out of here today and take with me lifelong confidence, lifelong friends and lifelong memories.

To conclude in the words of Dr Seuss “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” And now I know that where ever I go I will shine!”