Friendship, Giving, Growth, Community

Deputy Head Prefect Isabel reflects on how giving builds friendships and strengthens community.

Each week, our student leaders share their insights with their peers in Assembly.

From Kindergarten to Year 5, I thought our School motto was “ut possum” — as in the fluffy Australian marsupial. In those early Wenona years, my focus was mostly on hula hoops, side ponytails, and plenty of make-believe.

When I finally understood the pronunciation and meaning of Ut Prosim, that I may serve, I believed serving meant big acts of contribution. But as the years have gone on, I’ve come to realise that service is not only about the big gestures. It’s also about the small, everyday ways we give to each other; and from that giving, the opportunities for growth are endless.

Friendships are one of the main reasons I love Wenona and feel such a sense of belonging here. At first, I thought I had just been ‘lucky’ to find such good friends. But luck is only part of it. Friendships take giving: giving your time, your attention and your kindness. You don’t simply ‘find’ great friendships, you build them.

To show you what I mean, I’d like to introduce you to six friends:

• From Year 7, Tia — we met at our brothers’ rugby tournament in Armidale, and I was touched to recently receive a congratulatory note from her
• From Year 8, Evita — one of my swimming sisters, who recently gifted the team bracelets from her holiday
• From Year 9, Chloe — my Ralston locker buddy, whose daily smiles always brighten my day
• From Year 10, Holly — we bonded volunteering in the Learn to Swim program, and now share FaceTime debriefs and cadet uniform fashion lessons
• From Year 11, Hannah — after years in the same Connect group, we only became close this year. She is one of the funniest people I know
• From Year 12, Scarlett — my ‘personal driver’, who I met at Pilates. Our breakfasts, beach visits and dinners are always a highlight.

The more I’ve invested in these friendships, the more I’ve grown — in resilience, empathy, patience, and understanding. And when we give more to one another, we strengthen not only ourselves, but the Wenona community as a whole.

So, give it a go. Have the courage to start a conversation, help someone with their homework, cheer someone on, or branch out beyond your friendship group or Year group. You might be surprised at how much you grow in the process.

As Reverend Jon Owen of the Wayside Chapel recently wrote: “What we put into the world creates ripples that reach further than we could ever imagine.”

Give more, grow more. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.