Sevenoaks Students Remember

The Year 12 Modern History students were offered the opportunity to speak at the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Day Centenary Service conducted by the Cannington and Victoria Park Returned and Services League (RSL).

The two boys who volunteered for this honour were Lex Daniel Ramirez and Robbie McDonald. The two students presented a speech that expressed empathy with the ANZAC sacrifices and spoke of how the ANZAC spirit shaped the Australian culture. Several community and RSL members approached the boys to commend their efforts, commenting that they were a credit to themselves and to the College. Part of the speech presented at the ceremony can be found below:

“We stand before you today humbled by the knowledge that the privileges and freedoms we all enjoy – in speech, thought and action – arise from the commitment and courage of those who have come before us. We stand before you today to commemorate their legacy and to acknowledge that this is a debt we can never repay. What we can do is respect and value the Australia in which we live today, a country whose national character was shaped so many years ago and where, thanks to the efforts of those who have come before us, our country stands out as a beacon of equality, freedom and opportunity. And so today on behalf of our school community we pay tribute to those who have served us, we commemorate the burden of their sacrifice and we give thanks for the privilege of living in the Australia that they helped to shape. The story of the ANZAC unites Australia like no other and it lives on today because it represents the very best part of all of us. Lest we forget.”