The Last Word

By Coen Breen | Posted: Monday February 23, 2026

Today, I want to speak about not being afraid to speak up in tough times.

Every single one of you boys sitting in this auditorium lives a unique life. Everyone has their own thoughts that are different from the person sitting next to them. Everyone has different events going on at home. All of these things influence how people act. You never know what someone has going on at home, and some people could be experiencing tough times. A lot of the time, when people are facing hardship, they try to act like everything is okay, even when it's not.

I want to emphasise the power of opening up about these things. This is something I have personally experienced. I have gone through times where I have tried to act like nothing is wrong in my life, even when I know that things are. I go through moments where I am not myself, but I try to pretend everything is fine. It is a struggle to open up to someone as a man because the feeling of vulnerability makes it easy to do nothing and just tough it out. However, trying to tough it out is not a good solution to problems. Not letting out your emotions and bottling everything up can lead to an outburst of feelings all at once and doing something that you will regret the next day.

Speaking to someone about your struggles can be hard, but it is one of the best things you can do to help yourself through what you are going through. Everyone you know has experienced times of struggle. All it takes is one conversation with one person to help clear your thoughts and help you realise that things can get better. Finding that person to talk to can be as simple as finding someone you trust. That could be anyone in your life—a friend, a parent, or even a teacher you trust. Any one of these people would be willing to have a conversation with you about your feelings. When times are tough in my life, and I start to feel stressed or not good about things, I try to find one of my friends to talk to. I know that I am supported by them in times of vulnerability.

Opening up to people can also help them in their lives. If they ever go through something that makes them need someone to talk to, they know they have someone they can trust. In my life, whenever I am struggling with problems, I know that I always have someone I can talk to who will help me through it.

Our lives are filled with many moments where we struggle, whether it is failing tests or experiencing loss, but it is how we respond to these feelings that matters. It is inevitable that things in our lives will sometimes change for the worse, but bouncing back from struggles can be as simple as having a conversation with someone who can help get you back on the right track. It is always better to speak up and feel vulnerable than to do nothing and let things get out of hand.

In true Otago Boys' fashion, I will end with a quote:

“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.” – Sigmund Freud.