Speeches
Thursday, 13 February 2025
SACE 2024 Merit Ceremony
Rod and I warmly welcome you all to Government House.
Congratulations to each and every one of this evening’s award recipients.
Today is a major milestone in your lives, and there will be many others that will further shape who you are, what you have and will achieve, and how you are going to get there.
Your families, friends and teachers are all proud of you, as are Rod and I.
You have applied yourselves, overcome setbacks – no pathway is ever completely smooth – you’ve set goals and achieved them.
I am pleased to support the Commendation Awards because they celebrate the efforts of students with strong academic results, and – and this is important - a focus on serving others.
As Governor, civics education is one of my priorities.
Every year Rod and I engage with thousands of South Australian secondary school students curing our visits to schools across the state.
No two schools are the same and the resources and opportunities available to students can vary widely.
I congratulate our Commendation winners on making the most of what your school had to offer you and using your initiative, often to bring about positive change.
You are role models for your peers and for younger students.
I encourage you to continue to do what you did to get here tonight.
This may have been volunteering, creative work, taking on leadership responsibilities, making change in your schools, or more.
Keep it up.
Together with your fellow Merit recipients, you are our state’s future leaders.
I hope you are excited about what comes next and building a life that brings personal success, as well as meaningful contribution to our community and our state.
From my own experience, and my engagement with students in secondary schools, may I offer the following advice to young people here today.
Keep your mind open. You don’t need to have it all figured out now.
I began university studying law and economics.
At that stage I wasn’t planning to become Australia’s Ambassador to China or Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, let alone Governor of South Australia.
I was simply following my interests and abilities, while keeping an eye on how whatever I was doing might make a broader contribution to our society.
As your lives and careers progress, I encourage you to explore the opportunities here for you in South Australia.
By all means gather experience and knowledge interstate or overseas, but always consider how you might put your skills to use here.
South Australia is experiencing growth in a range of innovative, cutting-edge industries and there are exciting possibilities for you to pursue in all walks of life.
In closing I express my thanks to the teachers, principals, parents and siblings who supported the young people here today throughout their SACE journey.
I thank the SACE board and staff for helping to equip our young people with the skills and knowledge to maximise their potential as Australian and global citizens.
Congratulations once again to you all on your outstanding achievements in SACE.
Rod and I wish you all the very best and we look forward to getting to know you better and seeing your ongoing contributions to our state, enriching our community now and into the future.