Each week for the next 9 weeks, we will be profiling a member of the Dunstan Manukura and sharing their assembly message with our school community. At last assembly on the 25th February we heard from our Deputy Head Boy for 2026, Nate Hill.

My name is Nate, and I am your Deputy Head Boy.

As Deputy Head Boy, I would like to take a few minutes today to discuss something simple yet powerful: making the most of every moment, living in the present, and seeking the good in life even when it feels difficult.

A lot of kids just can’t wait to grow up, but it’s not until you grow up that you sometimes wish you were a kid again.

For a long time, I was always wishing I were older. But what I’ve realised is that when we keep wishing time away, we miss the part of life we’re actually in.

It’s easy for us to spend our time looking backwards, worrying about mistakes we’ve made, or looking too far ahead, stressing about exams, careers, or what people think of us. But life doesn’t actually happen in the past or the future. It happens right now in this very moment.

In 2024, I had the opportunity to travel to Zimbabwe. While I was there, I saw something that really stayed with me. I met people my age who don’t have the same access to education, resources, or opportunities that we sometimes take for granted. That experience made me realise how fortunate we are to be here in a place where we are given the chance to learn, grow, and choose our own paths. It reminded me that every lesson, every activity, every day at school is actually an opportunity, not an obligation.

But another moment in my life has taught me this lesson even more deeply. After the passing of my mum, life felt incredibly hard. It was a time that changed my perspective on many things. What I learned through that experience is how important it is not to take time for granted, not the people around us, not the chances we’re given, and not the ordinary days that seem small at the time.

It also taught me something else: that making the most of life isn’t just about the easy moments. It’s about learning to look for the beautiful things even when life feels heavy. It’s about appreciating the people beside you, the small wins in your day, the support you have around you, and the chances you’re given, even when things aren’t perfect.

Every day we come to school, we’re given opportunities. Opportunities to learn something new, to be kind to someone who needs it, to try harder than we did yesterday, or to step outside our comfort zone. These moments might seem small, but they shape who we become.

Living in the present doesn’t mean ignoring the future. It means understanding that the choices we make today create the future we step into tomorrow.

So I want to challenge everyone here today:

Say yes to opportunities.

Speak to someone new.

Put in that extra bit of effort.

Look for the good, even on hard days.

And most importantly, don’t wish your time away; make the most of the stage of life you’re in right now.

Because one day, you’ll look back and realise it wasn’t the big events that defined your school years, it was the everyday moments you chose to show up, try, and be present.

Let’s make the most of today, not because it’s perfect, but because it’s ours.

As the saying goes, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift  that’s why it’s called the present.”

Thank you!