10 Years on & What Matters Most: Speech Night Address by Maggie Wu (’16)

Each year, the school communtiy is joined by a fantastic guest speaker, an Old Girl who shares her words of wisdom with the senior cohort as well as reflections on her own life and career since leaving St Margaret’s. We were very fortunate to have Maggie Wu (’16) as the guest speaker this year. Maggie is no stranger to the St Margaret’s community – she currently serves as a Committee Member on the Old Girls’ Association Committee, as well as a Director of St Margaret’s School Council. She has returned to campus in recent years as the International Women’s Day guest speaker and has been a dedicated mentor in the St Margaret’s Plus Mentoring Program.

10 years on from her own graduation, Maggie shared some words of wisdom, guidance and encouragement with the 2026 seniors. Below is a copy of Maggie’s address from the evening.

“Good evening, Ms Curtis AM, distinguished guests, staff, parents and students. It is such an honour to be back at QPAC with the St Margaret's community this evening.

As I was thinking about what I wanted to speak about tonight, I knew I wanted something that felt relevant to you, the Year 12s, but also something I would have appreciated hearing when I was sitting right where you are now, ten years ago.

At our 10-year reunion a few months ago, I found myself reflecting on how much had changed since school – and how many of the things I once worried about had mattered far less than I expected.

Tonight you’ve heard a version of my story: School Captain, law degree, lawyer. On paper, it all sounds wonderfully organised. But I can assure you it felt significantly less so while it was happening.

Looking back at Year 12, some of the things I was sure would shape my future did. Plenty didn’t. Some of the experiences that shaped me most weren’t even on my radar yet.

So tonight, rather than offering any life advice, I thought I’d share a few things that, 10 years on, I’ve come to realise matter most.

The People Who Share Your Journey

The first is simple: it’s the people. Even though some of my memories have faded over the past decade, I remember caring very deeply about my OP in Year 12, which was our version of ATAR. I remember feeling like that one number was going to dictate the rest of my life, when in fact, it only dictated which course I would study first.

Now, with final exams around the corner, it’d be remiss of me not to say that you should absolutely continue working hard and doing your best right until the very end. Hard work does continue to matter, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the effort I put in at school. But saying that, ten years on, nobody still asks me what my OP was.

When I think back on my time at St Margaret’s, it's not really the events themselves that come to mind first. It's the people I shared them with.

I remember the friends beside me on the way to school camp and on the netball court; the friends who navigated Shakespeare with me in English; and the friends who made otherwise ordinary school days memorable.

Of course, it’s not only my classmates who have continued to matter. It’s also the teachers and mentors who noticed something in us before we necessarily saw it in ourselves.

Mr King was one of those people for me. Now I certainly wasn’t the most naturally gifted musician in the school, but whether it was the school’s Rock Band, the musical or a performance at Speech Night, Mr King had a way of finding a place for students who were willing to try. He made participation feel possible and helped us realise we were capable of more than we thought.

Another person who believed in me and opened a door is Ms Curtis. A few years ago, she encouraged me to put my name forward for the School Council, and I’m very glad she did. It has given me the opportunity to contribute an Old Girl’s perspective to the school’s future and remain connected to a community that has given me so much.

But what I value most is not the role itself. It’s that Ms Curtis thought I had something to offer, encouraged me to step forward and gave me the confidence to do so. Ten years on, I’ve realised that many of the opportunities that shape our lives begin in exactly that way: with someone who sees potential in us before we see it in ourselves.

What surprises me is that those people often remain part of our story long after school ends. Over the years, I’ve been surprised by how often people from St Margaret’s have reappeared at different stages of my life.

One of my favourite examples is Betsy Rutledge (’12). When I arrived at St Margaret’s in Year 8, Betsy was one of our School Captains.

At the time, I remember thinking she was exactly what I thought a St Margaret's School Captain should be. Now, some 15 years later, she's one of my colleagues, and I have the privilege of working with her.

While it’s a bit surreal to be working together, it's also a lovely reminder that the people around you tonight may remain part of your story for decades to come.

So, as you leave school, hold on to the people who encourage you, make room for those who bring out the best in you, and remember that some of the relationships around you tonight may become more important with time. Those people will celebrate your successes, but they’ll also help you find perspective when things don’t go to plan. That leads me to the next thing I’ve come to appreciate.

Learning From Setbacks and Finding Your Own Path

Setbacks and mistakes will happen, but what matters far more is how you respond to them.

Some of the moments that have stayed with me aren’t particularly dramatic. They were the quieter ones: a grade that disappointed me, a Paralegal role that I didn’t get, or being embarrassed to admit that something hadn’t gone the way I’d hoped.

But that’s a normal part of growing up. It’s okay to be disappointed, and it’s okay to have a bad day. Whether you make a mistake or simply face a setback, the important thing is to learn what you can and then focus on what comes next.

When I look back now, neither the mistakes I made nor the disappointments I faced have defined the last ten years. What mattered was that I learned from them, adjusted where I needed to and kept moving forward.

Because the direction you move in matters far more than the speed at which you move. Life after school is not a race. Arriving sooner matters far less than finding a path that is right for you. Your path won’t look like everybody else’s. Once you stop worrying quite so much about keeping pace with everyone else, you create more space to focus on something bigger than yourself.

Contributing to Something Bigger Than Yourself

That brings me to the final thing I've come to appreciate most: the value of contribution.

One of my favourite memories from school was Sony Camp, a respite program where students spend a weekend caring for children with disability, giving their families a valuable opportunity to take a well-deserved break.

At the time, I probably couldn't have explained exactly why it stayed with me. I just knew that it felt meaningful to give my time to something that made a difference to somebody else.

Ten years later, I understand that feeling better. I've been lucky enough to find it again in different ways: tutoring students through Yalari, volunteering with Women's Legal Service Queensland and providing legal assistance through Caxton's employment law clinic.

The contribution looks different in each setting. Sometimes it's sharing knowledge. Sometimes it's listening. Sometimes it's helping somebody navigate a difficult situation. But the lesson is the same one I first encountered through Sony Camp: what feels small to us can mean a great deal to somebody else.

Some of the most rewarding experiences in my life haven't come from personal achievements. They've come from helping somebody else or making somebody's day, week or year a little easier.

Wherever life takes you after tonight, I hope you find something you care about and find a way to contribute to it.

What Per Volar Sunata Means to me Now

Looking back over the past ten years, these experiences have changed how I understand the school’s motto, Per Volar Sunata.

When I was sitting where you are now, I thought flying upwards meant achieving things. Getting the result. Getting into the course. Landing the job. Reaching the next milestone. Ten years later, I think it's about something much bigger.

It's about:

• valuing the people who share the journey with you, especially those who see potential in you before you see it in yourself;
• learning from mistakes without letting them define you;
• focusing more on the direction you’re moving in rather than the speed at which you get there; and
• finding ways to contribute to something bigger than yourself.

So, to the Year 12 students: be proud of what you have achieved. You have worked hard to get here. But don't spend too much time worrying about whether the next chapter looks exactly how you imagine it today.

Some of the people who will shape your life may already be in this room. Some of the experiences that will matter most aren’t even on your radar yet. Some of the things you’re worried about now may barely feature in the story you tell ten years from today.

For now, enjoy tonight. Celebrate what you have achieved, thank the people who helped you get here, and trust that some of the best parts of your story have not happened yet.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026. I can't wait to see where your stories take you over the next ten years.”