Captains’ insights: Hugo Hart and David Quan

My story: Hugo Hart, School Captain

I distinctly remember sitting in the car with Mum staring blankly at an enormous old stone building swarmed by over a hundred unfamiliar faces, a building now commonly known to me as Memorial Hall. It was the Year 8 orientation day and I remember the wave of nervousness my younger self was experiencing. I lacked confidence and self-belief, questioning whether this gigantic School was going to be the place for me.

I grew up in Victor Harbor attending a small private school called Investigator College. I wasn’t the strongest athlete or the smartest student in the classroom, I was just your average adolescent who went on with his day to day life. The Victor community thrived off the local sporting culture, football being the driving force. Due to lacking athleticism and the desire to be an athlete, I didn’t really have a place in my home town. As I grew older I was ready for change and always knew that come Year 8 I would begin boarding in Adelaide. When this suddenly appeared before me I questioned whether I was equipped with the right tools and mentality to move away from home and excel in such a large, high-status School. Any form of change is a daunting experience. However, it is adversity which allows us to grow as individuals and discover elements about ourselves we were yet to know. I had no idea about the journey of growth and self-understanding I was about to endure.

I had always aspired to be a leader, but in a cohort of 170 students I saw myself as another bird in the flock, no stand-out role model destined to lead the School. I had the goal of honouring my parent’s selflessness by embracing every opportunity thrown at me and applying myself towards my academics. When I started my Saints journey in 2014, I was the quiet bloke in the corner of mentor who spoke only when necessary and worked hard at achieving the highest grade possible. Simply, I just did my best. As the years went by I grew out of my shell, I became loud and charismatic. I grew because I was placed in an uncomfortable position outside of my comfort zone. I was forced to overcome the adversity of living away from my parents and the substantial jump of schooling from Victor to Adelaide. Saints made me confront my weaknesses and provided me with the support from staff and peers to give new elements a go. The growth was not simple, and the journey was certainly no walk in the park. The key to my growth was finding the courage to be myself. Once I was able to find that courage to be bold, like-minded people naturally gravitated towards me and opportunities to step-up and lead presented themselves.

My journey through Saints has taught me to be bold and to express my ideas, thoughts and opinions. I have learnt that I am the only individual who can choose the direction of my journey. I chose to stick out the challenge of attending Saints and as a result, I now sit on stage of Memorial Hall looking out at the young men of Saints aspiring for each of them to not only embrace their own individuality but also each other’s. I look forward to 2019 and the adversity awaiting to challenge me.

The decision: David Quan, School Vice Captain

Returning to Saints was one of the most difficult decisions that I have had to make.

The strenuous demands of year 12 had taken its toll. After years and years of School routine, along with the accumulation of hundreds of School events, sports training, musical rehearsals and academic assessments, I found myself questioning whether I had the mental capacity to go around again. As all of my School mates discussed their future plans, there was every temptation to embark on the next journey.

However, after undergoing a process of deep self-reflection, I could not ignore the feeling of gratitude towards this School community. Since my enrolment in Year 7, Saints played a significant role in the shaping of my character to foster in me a desire to help and serve others. The staff had always supported, encouraged and guided me, for which I am extremely thankful.

More importantly though, it was the forging of genuine relationships with other students that was the most significant. Through my active engagement in service and co-curricular pursuits, I have been privileged to have connected with students of all ages and interests who have enriched my schooling experience. I found that it was the smallest of moments like welcoming the Year 7s back from camp, the mentoring of a struggling new student or just receiving those grammatically incorrect thank-you cards, that influenced my final decision. I am privileged for the trust that many younger students had in me, which enabled them to openly share their feelings, problems and concerns. This engendered a deep emotional attachment that empowered me to want to continue my service within this community.

In my schooling, the holistic education at Saints allowed me to experience not only academic learning, but also other important areas – community service, social entrepreneurship, public speaking, basketball and several different musical ensembles.

I’m looking forward to working with both Hugo and the Junior School Captains, Charlie Bruce and Joey Fitzgerald. Hopefully, our combined efforts can have a positive impact not only on the students, but also the wider school community.