Valedictory Address at Presentation Night

2016 Valedictory Address

Good evening Mr Banks, special guests, staff, ladies, gentlemen and my fellow students. Welcome to the 2016 College Presentation Night.

Lochie Taylor Head Prefect 2016

Tonight we gather as a College community to recognise and acknowledge the achievements of our College throughout the year of 2016. It is a night of reflection for many, of both this year and their longer life at Trinity College—a night where we look back at the incredible influence this College has had on our lives and the impact it will continue to have for decades to come.

Throughout the year, young Trinity men have excelled in all Four Pillars of College life. The Faith, Academic, Sporting and Cultural Pillars of Trinity have been as active as ever and are evident in the achievements which we share as a community. Not through luck or chance but through the determination, dedication and devotion of each and every Trinity student, we have succeeded. From victories in volleyball, basketball, rowing and cross country to winning our 13th consecutive Zenith Award and to the numerous awards we are proudly recipients of in every learning area the College offers, I congratulate all involved in each of these feats. Along with our achievements, the everchanging landscape of our campus is something which future year groups can look forward to.

However, the legacy of a Trinity man is not measured by the trophies he wins, the instruments he plays or the mark on his latest maths test. It’s much more than this. The legacy of a Trinity man is measured in his ability to be a Man for Others. The willingness of the men around me to help someone in need, far exceeds any award which they will receive tonight.

In saying this, no opportunity, accolade or award is achievable without the efforts of so many people.

So, on behalf of all students, I extend my thanks to all parents and guardians of Trinity College students. It only takes a small conversation with a mother or father from another school to realise the commitment of our parents to our own school. Without your efforts, your sacrifice and your commitment to your sons, none of us would be able to enjoy the fruits of a Trinity education.

To all teachers, staff and coaches alike: NFL legend Ray Lewis once said, “Don’t walk through life just playing football. Don’t walk through life just being an athlete. Athletics will fade. Character and integrity and really making an impact on someone’s life, that’s the ultimate vision, that’s the ultimate goal and the bottom line.” Similar to the words of Lewis, our teachers have consistently held a holistic approach not only to our education, but to us as human beings. And that is something I am forever grateful for, grateful that our teachers embrace a perspective which never sees an ‘A’ grade or an accolade ahead of building young men of character.

To the future leaders of the College, as many have said before, your time is truly limited. Now that I approach the conclusion of this chapter of my life, I can tell you that you’ll never truly understand the meaning behind this until your time is up. So I encourage you, I urge you and I push you, into making the most of your time while it lasts. Never be fearful of trying something new. Remember always, that doing new things is the catalyst to opportunity and opportunity is the opening for growth.

Finally, to the group of men behind me who stand proudly as the Class of 2016. I thank you for entrusting me as your Head Prefect for our last year together. It has been both an honour and a privilege to lead the men I call my brothers. Our six years together have been nothing short of incredible. A journey of the evolution of boys into men, all who live their lives by the mantra of being Men for Others. Whether it be the most simple act of helping your mate out with some homework or the rallying together of a cohort in support of a brother who may be suffering, this year group I’m proud to be a part of, has never ceased to amaze me, in every single walk of life.

In 2011 I walked through the centenary gates on Nelson Crescent as a small-statured, much shyer 11-year-old. I was a boy who had no idea of the unbelievable journey which would be the next six years. When I sat in Carigg Court listening to our then Head of Year, Mr Tim Shanassy, could I have ever imagined the brotherhood which we would eventually share, the brotherhood formed through one single commonality? Absolutely not.

But in 2016 I stand in front of you tonight as a proud Trinity man and one of 194 men who will graduate from Trinity College as a Trinity man next week as part of the Class of 2016. Ingrained within all of us are the teachings and traditions of the great Edmund Rice.

The story of Edmund has been passed on through generations of Trinity men and much like Edmund, each of the men behind me will have his own story to tell—the story of the remarkable impact the place we call our second home has had over our time at this College. Each of our stories makes up a small part of the mosaic which portrays the history and culture of our great College.

Trinity is a College which offers much more than just a literary education, it is a place which acts as a centre of opportunity for young men and I’ll proudly put my name down as an Old Boy of this College for the rest of my life.

Lochie Taylor (12.3) Head Prefect 2016

Lochie with his family at the Prefects Investiture Morning Tea