By Joanna Chen, Year 12 School Captain, and Madeleine Roberts, Year 12 Round Square Captain

 Each year, the senior cohort at TAS chooses a theme to define their final year—a vision that shapes their aspirations and collective identity. This year, the Class of 2025 has embraced “Ignite”, a theme that represents purpose, connection and determination.

“Ignite”. only a single word, yet boundless in meaning.

As we stepped into our Year 12 retreat, some of us weren’t entirely sure what it could represent. It sounded powerful, fiery, and ambitious, but what did it truly mean? What did it demand of us, not just as individuals but as a united cohort?

Through reflection and discussion, we uncovered a deeper meaning…

To ignite something, three essential elements must be present—fuel, oxygen, and ignition. Fuel represents our potential, the skills, ambitions, and passions that shape who we are. Ignition is the catalyst, the action, the intent, the will to take that first step. But perhaps most important is oxygen, the people around us. Like air, our community sustains us, pushes us forward, and supports us. We are not just individual flames; we are a fire that grows when we support, challenge, and uplift one another.

Our Year 12 retreat became the perfect setting to explore this theme in its fullest sense. Whether in structured discussions, quiet personal reflections, or moments of social joy, we saw what it truly means to ignite. The goal-setting seminar emphasised the importance of balance, teaching us that the flame of ambition burns brightest when fuelled by purpose and healthy wellbeing. Learning about Ikigai, the Japanese concept of purpose, reminded us that our fire is not just about personal achievement, but about aligning our passions with the needs of our world.

One of the most transformative sessions was Tomorrow Man, Tomorrow Woman. The conversations were raw, emotional, and revealing, forcing us to confront our vulnerabilities and listen to those of our peers. We walked in as classmates, but we left as a cohort bonded by empathy and shared experience. It was in this space that we truly saw the oxygen of our community in action, our ability to listen, to lift each other up, to breathe life into one another’s flames.

Beyond structured sessions, the retreat’s true magic came in the unplanned moments of playing volleyball together in the evenings, sharing meals, laughing until our sides hurt. These moments reinforced the idea that to ignite is not just about pushing forward alone; it is about burning brighter together.

We ended the retreat reflecting on how we would carry this fire into our final year. The captains led a discussion on how each of us would embrace ‘ignite’ in our own way—whether through leadership, creativity, service, or simply by showing up for one another. For some, ignite meant setting a personal challenge. For others, it was about inspiring younger students to find their own spark. But for all of us, it meant stepping into the year ahead with purpose, connection, and determination.

A single spark has the power to ignite countless others. A flame does not diminish by lighting another, it spreads, strengthens, and transforms. As the Class of 2025, we embrace the fire within us; not just to shine individually, but to light the way for those who will follow.

We ignite not only for ourselves but for the future.