Each week over the last few weeks, we have been profiling a member of the Dunstan Manukura and sharing their assembly message with our school community. At our last assembly on the 25th March we heard from our BOT Student Representative for 2026, Eve Sinnamon.

While thinking of a topic for this speech, I came across a quote by Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

We all face moments when things don’t go according to plan, whether this is on the sports field, in the classroom, or in everyday life. Things like one missed shot or a failed test can feel like everything is falling apart.

Yesterday, I returned from a softball tournament. Looking back, there were moments when I made mistakes and found myself stuck dwelling on what I could have done differently. The more I focused on that one small moment, the more distracted I became. But reflecting on it now, I realized something important: it wasn’t the mistake that held me back—it was my mindset. 

In that moment, I had a choice. I could let the mistake define me, believe I wasn’t good enough, and carry that feeling through the rest of the game. Or, I could accept it, learn from it, and move on. That’s the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

Earlier this year, in my English class, Mrs Affleck had us research and define both mindsets. A fixed mindset traps you in your mistakes. It makes small setbacks feel huge and tells you that one failure defines your ability. However, a growth mindset works differently. It sees mistakes as opportunities to learn, encourages us to move forward, and reminds us not to let the little things control us. 

In the end, the small moments don’t define who we are or what we can achieve—our response does. How often do we let one bad grade or one mean comment stick with us far longer than it should? How often do we let the little things take up space in our minds and hold us back from moving forward? 

What I’ve learned over the past few years is that when we focus too much on the little things, we give them more power than they deserve. Growth doesn’t come from being perfect. It comes from being willing to improve, to move on, and to keep going even when things don’t go our way.

So next time something doesn’t go your way, or you catch yourself saying, “I can’t do it,” I challenge you to add one small word: yet. “I can’t do it… yet.” Learn from it, let it go, and move forward —because, as Churchill said, it is the courage to continue that counts. 

Thank you.