Vincit qui se vincit!

Happy birthday, my dear alma mater, Eunice High School, which just turned 138 years old!  Three years out of school and I still can’t believe how much has changed. How much I’ve changed...

I haven't thought about school in ages, but recently at a digs party we started talking about our school days and all the things we remember from back then. I was shocked to realize that I could not remember my school song, even though I sang it at least once a week for 12 years. And on weekends to make my Gran happy, of course.

 

My Granny at the pool naming ceremony. 

My family has a very special relationship with Eunice High. I am a fourth generation Eunice girl and the sixth family member to matriculate from Eunice. (My sister being the seventh naturally.) My dear Granny Colleen was a swimming coach and very active supporter of Eunice for many years before her death. She not only helped many beginner swimmers make it through the Midmar Mile, but she also managed to watch every play Eunice had ever performed. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the school named the swimming pool after her in a beautiful ceremony. She passed away a mere three weeks later. A month into my Matric year. A week  after she was honoured in our Eunice walk-in at the Inter-high gala. And the day after my 18^th birthday…My Gran was an amazing human being in so many aspects. It is impossible to think of Eunice and not think of her. "Our blood will always be Eunice green."

I am embarrassed to say that I was eventually forced to Google the lyrics to the school song. Bits of the song stood out. It’s strange to think that three years after school that the words make a lot more sense than what they did back then. 

The garden at school which became
my hangout

“The future will not fright her, she fears nor change nor strife, for she dwells beside the waters of wisdom and of life.” At the time I was so scared about leaving home to come study at Rhodes, yet here I am years later comfortably settling into my life. The future does not fright me anymore. Even though I faced strife head on I never feared it. Eunice gave me that strength and at Rhodes I truly learnt what it felt like to dwell beside those waters of wisdom and of lie.

Eunice’s school motto is ‘Vincit qui se vincit,” which means “She conquers who conquers herself.” It took me years of to understand what that meant for me. But now I get it. To succeed in your life you must first better yourself. You must first fix your attitude and then face the world.  In order to do great things you must first start trying to understand yourself. I’ve had many issues in my life, but I’m slowly starting to understand that I must be willing to change; to learn. Eunice taught me many lessons that Rhodes just confirmed.

It makes me think about how far I've come and the person I used to be, compared to the person I am now. Eunice paved the way and I will always be thankful for that... ♥ "Eunice Eunice! No other school so dear."