I am delighted to report that life at Burgmann College in Term 1 of 2026 is going very well. In the midst of so much uncertainty in the world, human kindness, hope for the future, and friendships forged across differences is alive and well in our little part of the universe.
With 130 or so new students arriving on the 7th of February on a very hot Canberra day of 37 degrees, our student leaders were enthusiastically greeting parents and students as their cars arrived, and carrying up bags and belongings, providing the best Burgmann welcome of care and support. Parents kept mentioning to me how impressive the student leaders were. New Student Week (N Week) was filled with friend-making and understanding what it means to be a Burgie. It was very heartwarming to watch scared, anxious new students settle in and make Burgmann home within a short time. Orientation Week (O Week) brought our returners back and a lot more fun and frivolity. By the time the last week of February came around, students were in Week 1 of Semester 1.
By the end of Week 1, there was a new war in the Middle East. Friends and relatives of many of our students have been affected. The world has felt much heavier. And yet, the present demands our complete attention. Relationships and classes, sport and fun activities call for full engagement in now, and in what we can influence in our own sphere.
The regular glimpses of human kindness, the generous sharing of connection, the warmth of belonging sustain us. Wherever you are in the world and whatever you are going through, know that your connection to this place anchors you into all the best parts of what it means to be human. As I said to our students at Commencement Dinner, ‘refuse the small comforts of indifference and care enough to invest in those around you, encouraging and expecting the very best in each other to emerge, grow and celebrate.'
