The guest speaker at Our Lady’s Grammar School Sixth Form Prize-Giving ceremony was Ms Órla Fee, Head of Publications at the Royal College of Physicians, London. Órla is herself a past pupil of Our Lady’s and she began her address by saying that it was both a pleasure and an honour to be invited to speak at the ceremony in the school that she attended in the 1980s and early 1990s, albeit on a different campus. She spoke highly of the quality of the educational experience which she had had:
“the quality of the teaching was wonderful, we all were sure we were at the very best of schools and lucky to be there”
and, quoting a past teacher, Sr Olive McConville, she reflected that
‘a school is not a place’
and that, although the buildings and facilities may have changed, Our Lady’s is, at its heart, the same school now as then.
Congratulating the prize-winners on their achievements, Ms Fee urged them always to do what they love and to keep trying until they find it, commenting:
“Not only does it make you more likely to succeed, but if you are going to do a job well, and really make a difference to the world and to people’s lives, you will need to enjoy it.”
She told the young women never to accept any limitations that society might try to place on them as women and always to be prepared to speak out loudly about what they believe in. She stressed the importance of maintaining an awareness of contemporary writers and artists and scientists and of knowing what their peers in other countries, with other challenges, are making of life so that they themselves will be helped to find their own place in the world.
In conclusion, Órla acknowledged that these are difficult times for students and that there are clear challenges facing them in the years ahead but she reminded her audience that there will always be challenges in life and that it was always better to live with optimism:
“Life is exciting and rewarding and you are about to take control of yours and make it what you want it to be. Make the most of it and above all enjoy it.”
Vice-Principal Mrs Teresa McAllister with those who received Cups for Success & Contribution to School Life.
Vice-Principal Mrs Fiona McAlinden with the Attendance Award Winners.
Ms Orla Fee and Ms Pettigrew with 1st Place in Subject(s) Prize-winners
Ms Orla Fee with the Students of the Year who obtained 480 or more UCAS Points (4 A Grades or equivalent)
Sr Perpetua with Cup Winner Catriona Grant and the Sr Perpetua Award Winners for School Service.
Guest of Honour Ms Orla Fee and Principal Ms Geraldine Pettigrew with Clare Williamson (1st Place in Northern Ireland in English Literature) and Claire Grant & Roisin McNamee (Joint 1st Place in Northern Ireland in Art and Design)
Platform Party with Top A Level Students Maire McHugh (5A* Grades & 1 A) & Fionnuala Loy (4A* Grades & 1 A)
Mrs Roisin Morgan, Head of Irish, and Mrs McAllister with the A Level Irish Class of 2011 and the Ashbourne Shield which their contribution helped the school to win.
Principal’s Address: Ms Geraldine Pettigrew
I should like to extend a very warm welcome to everyone who is here this afternoon: to the class of 2011 and their families; to the staff of Our Lady’s; and to our guests on the Platform. A very special welcome to our Guest of Honour tonight, distinguished past pupil Ms Orla Fee
Thank you so much to everyone for coming to Our Lady’s this evening to celebrate the success of every girl in the class of 2011 ~ you are all looking very elegant tonight, very much the sophisticated university students you have become.
On behalf of everyone here and of all associated with Our Lady’s, I want to offer congratulations upon the terrific academic success which you have all achieved. You have maintained the exceptionally high standards across the board which have seen Our Lady’s placed in the top rank of Northern Ireland Schools every year since records began. Even measured against the highest standards, the overall success which you have achieved is superb.
And you did this, too, while maintaining a terrific record of involvement in extra-curricular activities: orchestra; choir; drama; debating and public speaking; sport of all kinds. You were central in these and in so many more successes and I want to thank you on this public occasion for all that you contributed throughout your school careers. One area in which you as a Year Group made a huge contribution was in relation to fundraising and charitable work of all kinds and in volunteer work in support of the young, the old, the disadvantaged and the marginalised. ~ thank you for this generosity too.
I know that you would want me to thank on your behalf the exceptional staff of Our Lady’s who supported you, challenged you, nurtured you ~ inside and outside the classroom ~ throughout all of your years in school and who delight in seeing you move on with such grace and confidence into the next stage of your lives. I know that you are very grateful to them and to all who have been part of your school life since you entered Primary 1. We in Our Lady’s deeply appreciate all of the excellent work done in our partner Primary Schools and in the High Schools from which some of our sixth formers come. We know that we build upon the strong foundations established there and in your homes: our debt, and yours, to your parents, guardians and family members is immense.
You have, girls, grown into outstanding young women in every way. There will, we know, be tough times ahead for a number of years because of recession and all of the associated difficulties that will cause for individuals, families and society as a whole but it is in challenging times that young people with vision are most needed. You have that vision and the intelligence, determination and compassion which can and will shape a better future for all.
And that brings me, appropriately, to our Guest Speaker tonight, past pupil Ms Orla Fee, possessor of all of the above qualities. Orla left Our Lady’s in 1991 and studied Law and French at Queen’s; afterwards, she gained a Master’s Degree in Human Rights Law and then worked in the field of Legal Publishing for a number of years. Orla is currently Head of Publishing with the Royal College of Physicians ~ and has managed to fit in some singing in Belfast and Paris also! I am absolutely delighted that Orla is with us this evening as our Guest of Honour and Guest Speaker.
