Jordan of Saxony School Spirit Award winner’s address

Lachlan Pedersen is proud to call himself a “Blacks boy”.

The 2022 Jordan of Saxony School Spirit Award winner yesterday returned to Blackfriars to address the Laureate Assembly.

“It was an absolute honour to receive the Jordan of Saxony School Spirit award,” Lachlan told the assembly.

“It was not something I was actively striving for, but I feel came as a result of the person I wanted to be; a Blacks boy.”

The Jordan of Saxony School Spirit Award recognises the Blackfriars student who most aptly demonstrates attitudes and behaviours that promote the four pillars of Dominican life – Prayer, Study, Community and Service. It is the pinnacle of all school awards.

“Being a Blacks boy can mean many things,” Lachlan said. “But, to me, it means displaying four main traits; the same traits and behaviours I have seen in all of my role models throughout my time at Blackfriars – respect, commitment, leadership and friendship. These traits are what I feel it means to be a Blacks boy.”

The four pillars of Dominican life also influenced Lachlan’s Blackfriars journey. Of the pillars, Service, he said, was “one of the most important parts of being a Blacks boy”.

“I feel that giving back to the community is one of the best ways to show school spirit,” he said.

“Service is something that may not always be seen, and you may not always realise the effect you are having on the people around you. Service is part of being a leader. All the small things that you can do, that can help the people around you, is what being a leader is about.

“The small things you do can have bigger impacts than you ever thought.”

Lachlan also used his address to highlight the benefits of being part of the wider Blackfriars community.

“For me, community was the centre of my time at Blackfriars,” he said. “Being an active part of the Blackfriars community was something I truly valued. And there are so many ways in which we can all be part of this amazing community. Co-curricular, sports, great mates made at school, showing kindness to all, respecting each other, showing leadership and committing to one another.

“Everyone is unique, we all have our differences, but together we form an amazing community – the Blackfriars community.”