Head boy Josefata Naisili’s receipt of the baton of honour at the Natabua High School cadet passing-out parade on Friday marked a significant milestone.
Mr. Naisili commanded 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. Coming in for Year Nine, we were eager to learn, but time flies so fast that within a blink of an eye, we are here as Year 13 and final year students,” Mr. Naisili said.
“It’s quite a sentimental moment. We have these walls that contain memories, and knowing we are going to leave at the end of the year is quite sad. But life must go on.”
The 18-year-old from Matacawalevu, Yasawa, with maternal links to Naisisili, Yasawa, reflected on his past four years at the Lautoka school.
He praised the student body for their teamwork in staging an excellent 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, during which 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 honoured to be leading the school.”
He urged his junior colleagues to seize every opportunity they are given.
“Grab every opportunity that comes your way because once that opportunity is gone, it becomes a memory which you can do nothing about,” he said.