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Where there is uncertainty, there is possibility

At our recent Prize Giving and Leavers’ Service, outgoing Head Girl Harriet shared her reflections on the passing of time for her and her year group at Shrewsbury High.

“Year 7: skirts to our knees, oversized blazers to last us years and backpacks strapped to our backs looking like we were about to go on a DofE expedition. Since then, the blazer became no longer oversized, we traded in the navy jumper for a burgundy one in year 11, and likely switched out the backpack for a Longchamp. And while we’ve all sat through many speech days like today, this one is different. This isn’t just another morning getting out of lessons and sitting listening to speeches and awards being given out. This is it. We won’t walk to school after this chatting with friends ready for lunch and afternoon lessons. And that’s scary but also really exciting.

I read a quote that said, ‘where there is uncertainty there is possibility’. Life is what you make it, so wherever you all are in the next few months: sitting in a lecture hall at uni, setting up your desk ready to start an apprenticeship or on a beach in Australia, know that there is so much possibility. Everything feels very uncertain at the moment and as much as you try and picture life in a few months time it’s hard, it’s different. We won’t be coming back and sitting chatting in form with each other in September, colour coordinating our timetables for another school year.

‘So, what are you going to do next?’. The dreaded question that I’m sure we’ve all heard a lot this year. And while the uncertainty over the answer to this used to scare me, over time I’ve realised it’s okay not to know 100%. And while some of us may have our next steps planned out and are able to answer that question easily, for example me reeling off the answer I’ve given many times: ‘I’m having a gap year and then going to uni to study International Management’, what you are going to do in life, and the different roles you adopt are likely going to change: student, athlete, actor, musician.

And while the roles we take on and what we are going to do next may be somewhat uncertain, we all have the opportunity to decide for certain not what we are going to do, but who we are going to be.

I know that when I leave St Chad’s today – while I no longer have the labels I once did like Shrewsbury High student or Head Girl – what I can be certain of is who I am going to be. Kind, ambitious, loving. These are things I can control, things that will guide me through the uncertainty.

Now, I realise that I may have sounded like a slightly cringey self-help book for the last minute but I really do encourage you all to have a think about these internal qualities, who you want to be.

In writing this speech and reflecting on my years at Shrewsbury High, it made me realise just how easy it is to take things for granted, especially over the past few months with the stress of A-levels. But I want to take the opportunity now to say thank you. Thank you to everyone within our community for making Shrewsbury High such a special place.

To teachers who have been so encouraging, patient and understanding: whether it’s being stuck with a maths equation, needing help translating some Latin or – more recently – reading personal statements, guiding our revision and ultimately helping us navigate into the next stage of life. In particular, I want to personally say a massive thank you to both Mr Allan and Mr Aldridge who have been so supportive over the past two years, especially with me changing my life plan practically every week!

I also want to acknowledge other members of our community who work so hard behind the scenes and without whom I know our school years would not have been possible: the senior leadership team, catering staff, cleaners, caretakers, bus drivers, the IT, marketing and finance teams, the office staff and the governors.

Thank you to those in our lives beyond school who have supported us to this point – which may look different for each of us – but for me my mum and dad. The people who have done everything in their power to make life seem like an endless array of possibilities.

And finally to the class of 2024, the people who I’ve spent years of my life with: laughing in lessons, chatting over lunch in the canteen, protesting over the 6 minute run on the field, girls on board sessions, house drama rehearsals, lots of sports days, and even online lessons. Good luck to every single one of you, you’re all going to do amazing things. Thank you for making me excited to wake up and come to school every day, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to spend years of my life with.

And while we’re all gathered here together for what might be the last time I’ll remind you: ‘where there is uncertainty there is possibility’.

Harriet Underhill, SHS Head Girl 2023-2024

Where there is uncertainty, there is possibility