Hannah McGeehan

I will bring openness, integrity, authenticity, humour and hard work.  Within the school I am well known by many people because of the range of things I am and have been involved in, which is important as Head Girl – to be visible within the school. I have friends across different years in the school and I also enjoy excellent relationships with staff across the school, teaching staff, canteen staff and office staff which shows my approachability and I think most people would be comfortable coming to me if they have any problems or any suggestions about how we could improve. So as Head Girl I would have a good awareness of what’s going on across the school. I don’t take myself too seriously either, for example, last December every day until Christmas I posted a funny picture of myself on twitter for the chemistry advent calendar challenge. I’m also a very confident speaker, I have led assemblies, competed in public speaking competitions and would feel comfortable speaking or representing the school at any events such as the European Evening, Christmas Concert and other parental events. I am a natural leader and have developed my leadership skills in a number of ways through football, through coaching and being involved in multiple teams. I have learned through working with young children that as a leader it’s important to be adaptable and flexible as everyone has different needs or opinions to your own and I feel as though I would be well equipped to deal with that. I would lead with integrity as I have a responsibility to the rest of the school community to do so. In my opinion the most important part of leadership is being able to work in a team and to be honest with yourself and others when you need help or can’t do something. For example, I have never claimed to be an artist or gymnast but can respect and work with people who are which would then add more skills to our team. This would also apply to being Head Girl, I know that I wouldn’t be able to do everything, but I will be honest and get help when I need it and be a great team player.   The main thing that I would bring to the role is hard work. To me, working hard is the most important thing in everything you do. Even if you lose or fail, it is important to be able to say that you worked your hardest and did the best you could. If I were to be elected, I would, without a doubt, give absolutely everything to the role and would work hard to make sure I did it to the best of my ability.

I will try to provide opportunities, support and inclusion for all.  Throughout my time at school I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in so many different events, I’ve spent an overnight on crash mats in the changing rooms, I’ve been to the Scottish Parliament and even been as far as Krakow in Poland. I’ve learned so much from all of these opportunities and I think that’s a really important part of being in St. Columba’s. As Head Girl would want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to get involved in as many activities outside of the classroom as possible. I would try and make sure that there was something for everyone to enjoy and encourage people to step out of their comfort zones and try new things, as I think there is so much to gain from doing so. I have realised over the past 5 years that I have developed valuable skills from volunteering within the school and I would encourage and help younger pupils to join in and take on different roles and opportunities. Obviously, another important part of school is learning. As I have learned, learning can be different for everyone. No matter how you learn you should always be supported and in the coming year this is going to be especially important. One thing I would like to do as Head Girl is to create groups where 6th years and possibly 5th year pupils, in their spare time, support younger pupils going through the same courses as we did. I feel this would be particularly beneficial to S4 pupils preparing for exams for the first time. This would not only be beneficial to younger pupils but also to those who volunteer as it would be a great opportunity to give back to the school and help others. Also, this would hopefully also support teachers as if the pupil was worried, then instead of going to a teacher they would have someone else to talk to as well. The main thing I want to achieve is for everyone in the school, pupils and staff, to feel safe, supported and listened to. I would do everything in my power to achieve this. One way which I could ensure that everyone has their say or can raise any issues is to set up an Instagram account which would be run by the Head Boy and Girl and the deputies. This means that we would have a platform to share what we have been working on but also a platform where any pupil could privately message us if they needed to talk to us or they had any suggestions. I previously ran the Twitter account for the SCHS 24 Hour Cycle Challenge, so I know how beneficial a social media account can be to help raise awareness of a cause.

I will lead by example and encourage others.   I would promote the school’s ethos and values, by leading by example. I have represented the school on many occasions, at sporting events, academic competitions, Masses and lots more and I would like to think that I always have done so in a positive manner at all times. Actions can be infectious, and I would strive to ensure I and the rest of sixth year set a positive example for the rest of the school.  Faith is a massive part of our school and always has been a big part of my everyday life. I would actively encourage the whole school to be more involved in their faith in any way they feel comfortable, whether it’s singing at Mass, going on a religious trip like to Rome or helping at a charity event, I think it’s important for everyone to feel included. I myself am pretty ambitious, partly down to my competitive nature but I would also encourage others to be ambitious, to persevere and be resilient when things are tough.  To be ambitious you need to see other people doing what you want to do, so that you know what’s achievable and can strive to be successful. I would make a point of encouraging the rest of sixth year to do this for younger pupils by setting high standards, working hard and having fun so that we can all push each other to be the best. For everyone to be the best they can be, I will try to make sure that all pupils have equal opportunity to take part and succeed in whatever they want to do across the school community. I want everyone to be proud to be a part of St. Columba’s High School.