Can Rockhampton take Some Medicine from Dr Seuss?
“This year the school had seven Australian representatives………”; this is no aspiration for a future speech night at one of Rockhampton’s high schools. This was said last week at North Rockhampton State High Schools Presentation Night. Similar comments were no doubt echoed by other high schools throughout the region. Approximately 1000 former students within our region are about to embark on the next stage of their life journey, taking the career path, hopefully all optimistic about making their mark. However many will leave our region to do this. Which in one way is a shame, but as champions of Rockhampton they will each play a part in building a perception of the Rockhampton Region in the cities and companies in which they’ll study and work.
A couple of weeks ago I questioned the perception ‘Beef Capital of Australia’ was creating with people outside the region of Rockhampton. As an alternative slogan I suggested “Home of Australia’s Future Champions” could be a more positive perception creator. North Rockhampton High School’s speech night reinforced my thoughts. For an aspiration to be realised it’s important to identify the foundations that already exist, and build upon them. Rockhampton does produce champions; we’ve just produced another one thousand. Imagine what a deliberate plan to foster this aspiration could achieve. Not just for the elite, after all a champion is anyone who has strived to achieve more than what others may have thought was possible. To be Dux of the school is to be a champion, to represent Australia is to be a champion, to achieve best marks in a subject is to be a champion and to complete twelve years of education when the expectation of others was you would not go the distance, is to be a champion.
I hope these young adults continue to be champions by striving to find out how great he or she can be. To strive beyond the expectation and be proud to say you come from Rockhampton, a region that produces champions – a champion region. One of these champions quoted Dr Seuss in his speech to the North Rockhampton High School graduating class of 2011, “you have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who decides where to go…..”. I think the Rockhampton Region can take something from this Seussism. Times have changed, it’s time Rockhampton chose to steer a new direction. A direction that builds on its current strengths and the opportunities with and around us. What vision do you have of Rockhampton Region and how will you contribute towards its attainment? Sadly these questions aren’t being asked or answered enough. I hope we hear of the aspirations of the graduating classes of 2011. Their personal aspirations, their aspirations of the region they’ll always call home and maybe how they hope to contribute towards attaining them.
In keeping with Dr Seuss, I congratulate and encourage the Grade 12’s of 2011 to continue to be champions with another of his quotes, “you’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so…. Get on your way”.
Good luck and as Dr Seuss also says, “only you can control your future”.
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