The Last Word

By Joseph Chen | Posted: Tuesday October 14, 2025

What do you want to be remembered for?

That question has swirled around my head a few times recently as the end of the year draws closer. For all my fellow Year 13s, it is truly the end of an era — the end of 13 years of schooling. For the rest of you, it’s just the end of another year before a new one starts, and you get to do it all over again. Regardless, it’s that time when we begin to reflect on our year.

We look back on all we’ve done so far and determine whether we’ve accomplished something or not — to see if we’ve lived up to the goals we set for ourselves or stuck with the New Year’s resolutions that, let’s be honest, we gave up on in January.

We also have so much to be thankful for: for our biggest supporters — our parents, teachers, and coaches — who have invested their time and effort in the hope of seeing us succeed; for the brotherhood at Otago Boys’ High School that we share, and for the experiences that make this place unique — representing the hoops, going to camp with our mates, or lunchtime football on the quad. For a place that has given us so much — support, opportunities, and memories — what can we leave behind?

Our legacy is what we leave behind. A legacy is about the good we do and the impact we make that is left for others to experience — not for our own benefit. It’s the things people remember when they hear your name. You might think that your legacy has to be grand, that it’s about your accomplishments in the classroom or on the sports field. But it’s more than that. The things people remember are the qualities you show and the small moments that make a big impact.

Strangers will remember the young man who held the door for them. Your friends will remember the mate who stuck with them through hard times. Your teachers will remember the boy who was enthusiastic about learning. Your coaches will remember the sportsman who showed grit and determination at every training.

I will always remember the kindness shown and advice given to me by senior badminton player and 2022 Deputy Head Boy, Aaryan Alexander, at my first tournament — his words and actions live on in what I do. It’s these small, everyday moments that leave a lasting impact, often much more than your greatest achievements ever could.

So, I challenge you to think about what you want your legacy to be — and do your very best to live it every day. Follow the example of your role models; do what they would do. Go the extra mile and put your hand up, not out. Embody the values of this school so that you might impart them to others: respect, courage, perseverance, honour, and excellence. And in doing so, you might be remembered as a true man of oak.

To finish in OBHS tradition, I’ll end with a quote: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” — Pericles