Queenwood’s Valete Assembly and Valedictory Dinner brought students, families and staff together to celebrate the achievements, contributions and shared experiences of this year’s graduating cohort.
Across classrooms, tutor groups, sporting fields, rehearsals and community activities, the Class of 2026 has helped shape the daily life of Queenwood, each student bringing her own interests, strengths and character to the school.
At this year’s Valete Assembly and Valedictory Dinner, the focus turned to recognising those contributions, the relationships formed along the way, and the young women preparing to take their next steps beyond Queenwood.
Returning to Queenwood as guest speaker for the Valete Assembly was alumna Sarah Mullins, an aerospace engineer whose career has taken her into an industry where technical expertise, collaboration and the confidence to pursue unfamiliar opportunities are essential. Her path from Queenwood to the aerospace industry is a living example of Per Aspera Ad Astra: through hardship to the stars.
Image: Sarah Mullins from LinkedIn
Sarah offered the Class of 2026 a perspective from beyond school, including a reminder that personal achievement and the way we treat others are closely connected.
“The most powerful version of you is the one that is kind.”
Sarah Mullins, Queenwood Alumna, Class of 2017
Her message captured something central to the character of a Queenwood girl: that capability carries a responsibility to others.
Darcy Botheras, one of the 2026 Valedictorians, spoke on behalf of her peers, reflecting on the friendships, challenges and shared moments that shaped her peers. She thanked the families and teachers who supported the Class of 2026. Her closing words showed the character of a Queenwood girl as she steps into womanhood.
“Now, we get to see where everyone ends up next, and I couldn’t be more excited. …. We’ll always have this community, and you’ll always have a friend in me. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader, and I know that years from now, I’ll get to look at something one of you has achieved and brag that I went to school with you.”
Darcy Botheras, Valedictorian, Class of 2026
The evening also recognised students across academic study, leadership, service, the arts, sport and co-curricular life, celebrating the many forms a contribution to Queenwood can take.
Image: Valedictory Dinner 2026
For the Class of 2026, the familiar rhythms of school are changing. Lessons, tutor groups, co-curricular activities and the daily presence of friends and teachers give way to final examinations and the greater independence that follows. When the HSC and IB Diploma examinations finish, with students will commence pursuing opportunities shaped by their passions, capabilities and ambitions.
The Class of 2026 joins generations of Queenwood alumnae whose paths have taken them into different professions, communities and fields of endeavour, connected by shared experiences and the values of truth, courage and service.
Image: Valete Assembly 2026
The future will ask different things of every young woman in the Class of 2026. They leave having sought truth, acted with courage and served with purpose, and Queenwood remains a school of her own. Always.
