FROM THE COLLEGE CAPTAINS

Good evening, parents, students, teachers and welcomed guests, I am Stuart Reeves, the College Captain of Mackay Christian College for 2022. Before my time with MCC comes to an end, I would like to acknowledge all the support teachers, parents, students, and other mentor figures have given to the community of MCC. Like many students here, we would have not come this far without your guidance and support to raise and educate us as members of both our college and community within Mackay.

If I were to symbolise Mackay Christian College with one simple word, it would be the word ‘Family’. I say family because its value can be strongly represented through the college's core values, those being Christlikeness, Learning, Excellence, Attitude, and Respect. These core values are the key aspects which help us grow as a person within the college. They allow us to maintain a sense of belonging within our college and build a stronger faith and family amongst each other.

With further detail, I had the blessing of serving with the captains this year, where we were able to start the Containers for Change program and represent our college on the ANZAC Day march, where my fellow captains led the school as I led my Army Cadet Unit throughout the parade. The Containers for Change program so far has been extremely beneficial to the college. H owev er, it was only made possible with the further support of the students and staff members. Together we worked in supporting each other in every situation we faced.

For advice and support next year for the 2023 captains - work consistently together as a team. In every situation, I propose that each of you support each other’s opinions and work together as a team to further benefit our college. Communication is a heavy aspect I suggest you follow and focus on, as clear communication amongst a team is what builds strength of character amongst each of you. Secondly, continue to serve throughout the college as an inspiring role model to each of our students. The dedication you put towards serving as a captain to the college and community, is what will inspire our students.

And finally, I simply wish you the best of luck for next year.

Tegan Morrisby College Captain

My name is Tegan Morrisby and I have had the privilege to be your female College Captain for 2022. What a roller coaster of a year. But that’s what it is, that’s what life is. Every year, a new roller coaster, we face new challenges, we enjoy the amazing moments and we also have some sad moments. But without that we would not be who we are today. Every year has its challenges but the good moments and memories always outweigh the bad.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that Year 12 is completely amazing all the time because it’s not. Just like I said earlier it will be a roller coaster of a year but as long as you remember to be humble and be the best you can be then you will create some lifelong memories. Some of the biggest tips I can give you that I have learnt from my final years at school is that every day is a new day, an opportunity to start fresh and be better than you were yesterday. Make sure to grab hold of every opportunity that comes your way because you will never know if you never try. But most of all pray to have eyes that see the best in people and a heart that forgives the worst. I would like to say thank you to my fellow cohort for making it a year to remember and for making some amazing memories with me, I appreciate you all, thank you. lockdowns and school closures, we all were undoubtedly pushed beyond our comfort zones and have certainly expanded our tolerance for stress management.

It’s certainly been an honour and great pleasure to learn, laugh, and grow alongside my fellow captains as a team and peers as a cohort during my time at MCC, time that I will certainly reminisce on fondly throughout the coming years.

Since my arrival at MCC in 2018, the extent of opportunities provided have been like no other, ranging from producing numerous school video productions to representing the college by competing in, and winning, many Chess tournaments; from being granted access to the vast knowledge of the wonderful staff here, to being taught to use industrial grade manufacturing equipment for school, and personal projects. On-top of all these opportunities were the experiences of Captaincy, ranging from our weekly responsibility of running assembly to managing student council; from meeting politicians and prominent public figures at the ‘Civic Reception’ to laying a wreath in honour of our Anzacs on Anzac Day.

Suffice to say, the opportunities, memories, and experiences that the college has provided have been truthfully life shaping and awe-inspiring... opportunities, memories, and experiences that remain available to all students who need but take initiative and ask.

Whilst my time at MCC as both a Student and College ViceCaptain has been thoroughly enjoyable and beyond a great honour, it certainly was not without challenge... after all, what good comes without challenge?

To the point of stress, there exists a direct correlation between how much stress an individual can take on, and how much performance and success they can achieve... the key is finding your limit, then working beyond it... do this, and you can learn to thrive in stressful situations, further using stress itself as a fuel to powerfully propel your perseverance to overcome life’s challenges.

While stress can be an incredible tool, it isn’t healthy to constantly feel it’s grasp, and as such one must learn to manage, channel, and in a certain sense, control it.

My advice to future Captains, and all students really, on how to manage stress is to keep a rigorously detailed calendar with set reminders to keep you on schedule, followed by what I call a 24-hour playlist filled with music that you’re conditioned to work too... and for clarity it’s not called a 24 hour playlist because it contains 24 hours’ worth of music, but because it’s the playlist you play when you have an assignment due in 24 hours or less and have barely begun... not that that’s happened to me.

Like all things though, the best advice can be found within the Bible, as James 1:2-4 says:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It’s been a pleasure being the 2022 College Vice Captain, and an honour to work alongside the truly brilliant individuals hts workin g on assi g nments followed t h an usua l assem bl y;

2021 and 2022 in particular entailed many challenges spanning from late nights working on assignments followed by, shall we say, earlier than usual mornings to run assembly; from problem solving and mediation to persevering through that were a part of this y ear’s Captainc y team. May God bless and guide you all through the years to come, f or which I wish you nothing but the best.

Thank You

Good evening teachers, parents, students and invited guests, my name is Lara Tye, and I was the female College Vice Captain for this year.

As the year went on, we learnt how to work more efficiently as a team through in-person assembly, role designation, and opportunities to serve, including the Founders Day service in Term 3. H owev er, the area in which we grew the most, was within ourselves.

As we come to the end of the school year, I would like to take the time to reflect on growth. The college captains and I faced many challenges this year that became opportunities for growth, the initial one being that none of us knew how to be school captains. And just when we thought we had an idea, Term 1 saw a return to online schooling, which meant problemsolving on how to run assembly each week from our individual houses. By the end of Term 1, we had created ‘online assembly’, growing our closeness as a team.

Lara Tye Vice Captain

Through our captaincy roles, gifted to us by the grace of God, we have grown to become confident young people, passionate about leading and serving others. Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” As much as we can plan for the days to come, we grow by His grace and in His timing. I am thankful for the growth we have undergone as captains of Mackay Christian College this year.

I pray that in the coming year, you will allow the Lord to guide your steps, so that you can grow into all He wants you to be. As the saying goes, ‘Great people aren’t born great, they grow great’. Thank you.