From a Quiet Girl to the Head Girl

When I think about becoming the Head Girl of The New Tulip International School, I do not see it as something that happened overnight. I see it as the result of almost ten years of growing, learning, making mistakes, improving and slowly becoming more confident in myself. I joined this school as a quiet and introverted child. However, with every passing year, I found myself becoming more comfortable in my own way. Since childhood, I participated in speech competitions and different school activities. Every time I stood in front of an audience, I learnt something new about expressing myself and believing in my own voice. Slowly, speaking up stopped being something I had to force myself to do and became a part of who I was. My teachers have been an extremely important part of this journey. They did not just teach me from textbooks; they guided me whenever I needed direction, encouraged me whenever I doubted myself and pushed me to participate and take responsibility. Even my academic journey reflects their guidance. Scoring 89.6% in my Class 10 Board examinations was not just a percentage for me. It was a reminder that the discipline, consistency and effort I had developed over the years could actually take me somewhere. But there is one thing about becoming the Head Girl that means even more to me than my academic achievements. When I was younger, I used to look at the senior students and the school leaders with so much admiration. They seemed so confident, responsible and, honestly, so cool to me. It felt like almost every teacher knew them, and they seemed to have a presence in the school that made them unforgettable. I remember looking at them and thinking that one day, I wanted to become someone like that too. I wanted to be someone whom the school, the teachers and the students would remember even after I had left. As I grew older, that thought stayed somewhere in the back of my mind. I never knew whether it would actually happen. And then somehow, I opened my eyes and found myself being badged and sashed as the School Captain, the Head Girl of the school. I was standing at the very same place I had once looked up to from afar, watching my seniors and wondering what it would feel like to be in their place. I had once imagined that moment as a little girl, never knowing if it would actually happen. And suddenly, the “one day” I had imagined had become my today. That feeling is difficult to put into words. Getting a good percentage in my boards made me proud of my hard work, but becoming the Head Girl feels different. It feels personal. It feels like a promise that the younger version of me once made to herself has finally come true. As I grew up, I realised that what made me stand out was not one particular achievement. It was the combination of many small things — being willing to participate, speaking up when necessary, taking responsibilities seriously, being comfortable with different people and trying to give my best even when nobody was watching. I believe these qualities, along with the guidance I received throughout the years, made me a strong candidate for the position of Head Girl. Today, I understand that leadership is not about being better than everyone else. It is about being someone others can depend on. It is about listening, taking responsibility and having the courage to step forward when needed. When I look back at the girl who joined this school almost ten years ago, I feel proud of how far she has come. The school did not simply prepare me for a position; it helped shape the person I became before I ever received it. I will always be grateful to The New Tulip International School and to every teacher who has been a part of this journey. Being the Head Girl is not just a title I have received. For me, it is the realisation of a dream I once had as a little student looking up at her seniors, hoping that one day, she too would become someone worth remembering. Swarnika Singh Head Girl 2026-27