Megan Quinn

Throughout my time at St Columba’s, I have been given many opportunities for growth and achievement by the whole school community. I have always tried my best to give back and the role of head girl would be a chance for me to do that one last time, in my final year of school. I am dedicated, hardworking and always give 100% to anything I set out to do. My friends would describe me as an approachable and understanding person who is always open to offering others support and guidance when they need it. I also pride myself in being a level-headed and reliable person. All of these are important qualities for any leader to have, especially a head girl. I am confident and comfortable when talking to different types of people. These good communication skills are essential when bridging the gap between pupils and teachers and working with both to try and resolve any issues which may occur.

One thing I will try to achieve as head girl is to bring the school community closer together. We are living through difficult and confusing times at the moment and it Is becoming increasingly important for us to support each other. Especially as when we return in august, the school population will be split in half. However, I also aim to bring different types of people together and show that just because you aren’t in the same friendship group as someone else it doesn’t mean you can’t get along. I will also aim to bridge the gap between pupils and teachers, strengthening the vital relationship.  Another issue which is extremely important to me is mental health. I personally know how much of an impact the many aspects of school can have on your mental health. Whether it be schoolwork and exam stress or struggles with your friends or your self-image. In return this can hugely affect not only your attainment and achievement in school but also how much you enjoy attending. As head girl, I would like to aim to build on the progress already made and continue to create a school environment which allows issues like mental health to be spoken about more openly. Having struggled a lot with my own mental health over the past year along with having experience in helping someone who was really struggling, I personally want to become more involved in offering my support when it is needed most. Especially in these uncertain times.

Our school values; faith, ambition, inclusion and perseverance were decided on by the staff, pupils and parents; these are the things that the whole school community chose as being the most important values of our school which means they should mean something to every one of us. So, I feel it’s only fitting that as head girl I would demonstrate these values not only by my words but also by my actions in how I interact with others in school and within the wider community. I have always admired the past head girls and hope that I could be that same role model for younger pupils in the school.