A Message from our 2026 College Captain, Liam Middleton

What is belief? - According to the Oxford Dictionary it is an acceptance of something that exists or is true without needing proof. It can also mean trusting in others, having faith and confidence in yourself.

Our 2026 senior theme is Believe and our motto's design features an infinity chain around the word believe with the letter 'i' highlighted.

This emphasizes that belief comes from within the individual and acknowledges the power every student here at ATC has to influence others in all that they do. Believing that we can improve, that we can make a difference, that we are valued and loved - starts with the individual.

The infinity symbol represents an eternal belief in something greater than ourselves. To us this represents how a collective belief unites and binds our community giving us a further purpose above education to come to school.

Our leadership team put our motto sign together to demonstrate their collective belief in our year and our school. Because with collective belief every small action leads to a much larger powerful action.

Now as some of you may know, I am a passionate AFL player and supporter, and the Brisbane Lions just recently won their second Grand Final in a row. If you are not already aware, the lion’s motto for this year was “Built on Belief” and they proved that collective belief in what they had together as a team could guarantee them a premiership.

The Brisbane Lions are just one example of what is possible with a collective belief in something greater than us. Of course, belief is not solely about achievement. It is about improvement, progress, and resilience, never giving up on what matters most even after failure. That is why it’s the foundation behind the most inspiring success stories in history.

So, what is the student leadership team’s intention with this theme, why do we need to believe in ourselves and our school community?

Our three pillars – service, learning, and leadership – are at the forefront of our school and act as reminders of what we believe in.

With service, we believe that every action we take makes a genuine difference to our world, from the simple act of picking up rubbish to standing in solidarity with the disadvantaged and disempowered.

With Learning, we believe in the power and privilege of education and how we can use it to secure our future and teach us skills that will help us find our purpose in the world.

With leading, it means standing up for our beliefs and being curious about others’ beliefs, uplifting and supporting regardless of the judgment of others.

Our goal as seniors, just like those who came before us, is to leave the school in an even better place than we found it, and we can do this through belief in each and every one of us. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but if we create a standard where everyone’s beliefs are inherently good and interlinked, then we will be achieving that goal. We will not only be making our school a better place but also our community and our planet.

However, belief is also a challenge, it requires us to have the courage to buy-in when no one else does, show up when no one else does and do the right thing when no one else does. To be people with moral purpose, not acting to seek a pat on the back but acting because it is simply in accordance with our beliefs.

It starts with one person aligning their values to be a man of courage and a sign of faith, then it spreads. It takes a lot to be that person, but the reward is exponential, a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling of leadership.

We are still a young school, and the best part is that we have so many opportunities to establish our own legacies as we grow louder in spirit. With belief we won’t just be a regular school we can all be a part of something special, something greater than ourselves.

So now I challenge you to start setting your own goals for 2026, find something to believe in and align it with our values here at ATC.

Attempt something new, strive to be the best version of yourself every day and make a difference to someone else’s day because you never know how much it can really mean to them.

Mahatma Ghandi said, “To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”

To be a man of courage is to be a man of honesty, lets live out all our beliefs in 2026, taking every opportunity, to better ourselves and reach our goals.

Believe in yourselves, believe in our school and its values, and believe in us, your 2026 senior leaders.

Liam, College Captain