BGGS Annual Review 2024

women’s rights and the fight for gender equality and reinforcing the entitlement to male power and privilege. In the face of this level of fear and uncertainty, it becomes even more important to stand up for what is right and amplify the voices of those who perhaps do not have a voice. While in the present day, 2024 is intrinsically linked with big names like Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris and Simone Biles, history will remember the actions and impact of a different set of people. A set of people who in their own way have stood up for what is right: • the women in Afghanistan sharing music and educational materials, despite the bans, to maintain connection and hope in their communities • the men in Regional South Australia who are working with young men to challenge attitudes and behaviours towards young women • the kid that called out a friend for bullying or being unkind • the woman who paused to say thank

These small, seemingly unimportant, everyday actions are what legacies are made from. Behind a picket fence on a plot of land between a major road and railway—a smaller plot, I might add than the Boys’ school was given—with terrible parking, in a city that the world won’t know about till 2032, stands an institution that was built on the premise of standing up for what is right. A place that for 149 years, has worked to empower young women and support them to take their place in the world. Each girl who has worn—or stuffed into her bag— the navy hat, contributes to a world where women are more equal, more empowered, more able to reach their potential and achieve their ambitions. Girls—your education is a foundation for your life. Of course, we encourage you to strive to reach your potential and do your best. But it is my hope, in addition to receiving a leading education, each of our students understands that it is the cumulative impact of their everyday actions and behaviours that is their legacy—not their grades, their positions, their looks, their popularity. To our Year 12 students—so much of your schooling has been controlled: where you need to be, when you need to be there,

what to focus on, what colour ribbon you wear. But what I hope you remember as you walk out the gates tomorrow, celebrated by your friends and the students who look up to you, is that your legacy is something that you control. It is entirely yours. And while there might be a lot to be unsettled about, if you focus on your everyday actions and stand up for what is right, you will be well positioned to take your place in the world with confidence and conviction. Congratulations to the Class of 2024. We celebrate you and we stand ready to support you.

you to the security guard at the hospital, for their role in the health system.

‘It is my hope ... each of our students understands that it is the cumulative impact of their everyday actions and behaviours that is their legacy.’ —Ms Julie McKay

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Brisbane Girls Grammar School

Annual Review 2024