Ross Preece.For more than 150 students Thursday night marked the end of their school days and the beginning of the next phase of their lives.

As those students accepted awards, scholarships and prizes during the Ashburton College Year 13 prizegiving ceremony, words of wisdom were delivered by staff and guest speakers, but the evening was all about the students.

The end of year ceremony was an opportunity for students to look back at what they had achieved over the past five years of their secondary education, principal Ross Preece said.

“For some of you, this is your last day of school, you will now be adults in the real world,” he said.

All students, where ever they went in life, would go with their package of Ashburton College ‘takeaways’.

That package would include memories and the values that came from living their secondary school years the AshColl way – respect, quality and pride, Preece said.

“When you look back 18 years, in 2001 you embarked on this great adventure called life.

“Now be excited about what lies ahead.”

Guest speaker Shaun Clark, an ex-college student, advised the students to grab the opportunities that life presented.

“It’s about not holding back, backing yourself.

“Often the things worth doing are not easy but you don’t always have to wait until you’ve got it perfect to get out and give it a go,” he said.

He currently owns an Ashburton based physiotherapy practice but prior to returning to his home town he worked at the Australian Academy of Sport.

An offer of a job in Papua New Guinea became the springboard for several projects that saw Clark travel as a physio with the PNG team during the Commonwealth Games in Scotland and with the PNG sevens team.

“Those opportunities came because I volunteered, put myself forward,” Clark said.

The same qualities that opened those opportunities up were equally valid when it came to establishing his own business, he said.

“Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid. You can’t succeed if you don’t try, you can want it to happen, wish it would happen, but only you can make it happen.”

Deputy principal Ron Cresswell told the students that they were now on a journey that would be their own unique path through life.

“As you go always remember where you’ve come from and the people who helped you along the way.

“Remember your roots and be proud of them,” he said.

He also paid tribute to three long serving members of the college staff who would leave at the end of the school year.

Mark Gleeson came to the college as a fresh graduate 49 years ago, Brenda Beach who has run the school canteen for 24 years and Nola Smitheram who had achieved 35 years and five months as part of the college’s administration team.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 2 November 2019