Head boy Josefata Naisili’s receipt of the baton of honor at Natabua High School’s cadet passing-out parade on Friday marked a significant achievement.
Naisili led a parade of 1276 students who performed drills and formations after eight weeks of preparation.
“First and foremost, everything has a beginning and an end. When we started in Year Nine, we were eager to learn, but time flies so quickly that in the blink of an eye, we are now Year 13 and final year students,” Naisili said.
“It’s a sentimental moment. These walls contain memories, and knowing we will leave at the end of the year is sad, but life has to go on.”
The 18-year-old from Matacawalevu, Yasawa, with maternal ties to Naisisili, Yasawa, reflected on his past four years at the Lautoka school.
He praised the student body for their teamwork in staging an impressive pass-out parade. “Cadet training is part of us; it is special.”
“For the past eight weeks, we trained once a week. During weeks nine and ten, we increased to twice a week. This week was our barrack week, where we focused on refining and finalizing our moves for today’s cadet passing-out,” he said.
“With great roles come great responsibilities, and I’m honored to lead the school.”
He encouraged his junior colleagues to seize every opportunity that comes their way.
“Grab every opportunity because once it’s gone, it becomes a memory you cannot change,” he said.