Prize Night at Cross and Passion College

Michelle, a former pupil of St Joseph’s in Belfast and broadcaster on Radio Ulster, expressed her absolute delight at being given the opportunity to address the pupils, staff and their parents.

As a former teacher of English and Drama, she drew on the poetry of Seamus Heaney, in particular the poem ‘Digging’, throughout her speech to highlight to the young people how they should, like Heaney, follow their own path, find their own spade and dig to discover their own personal path. Heaney’s future might have been mapped out for him – an oldest son who would surely follow his father and grandfather onto the land – but school and education helped him realise he had “no spade to follow men like them”.

He had the determination to search out where his talents lay and Michelle praised Cross and Passion College for enabling their young learners to discover their true selves and not be swayed from fulfilling their own personal potential.

In addition to warmly thanking the pupils for their contribution to school life, Mrs Ward highlighted the outstanding success achieved in the school last year.

Paying particular attention to the International Dimension of education, she highlighted the school’s recent success in achieving the full International Schools Award and emphasised the importance of preparing young people to be prepared as global citizens.

Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Mrs Una McCaughan congratulated all of the pupils and staff on their academic achievements this year and wished all of those moving on to higher education, every success in the future.