Members of the Board of Governors, Vice Principals, Chaplain, members of the academic, administrative and support staff, and my dear boys – good morning.
Today is a very special day for me. AND also Today is Children’s Day.
And what more meaningful day could there be for me to take on the responsibility of being Principal of Trinity College Kandy than a day dedicated to the very people at the heart of everything we do—the children, the boys of Trinity?
When I look around this Hall this morning, I cannot think of a more appropriate day to begin this journey.
Because ultimately, a school is not about buildings.
It is not about trophies.
It is not about examination results.
A school is about its Children.
Standing here at Trinity, in front of all of you, I feel a deep sense of gratitude and humility—and, if I am honest, a little emotion as well.
Because today, I am not simply beginning a new job.
I am becoming part of the story of Trinity College Kandy.
And what a story it is.
For generations, boys have walked through these gates, sat in these classrooms, played on these grounds, sung in this Chapel, climbed these hills, and carried the name of Trinity with them into the world.
Today, I stand before you fully aware of the great responsibility and privilege that comes with becoming your Principal.
And I want you to know something from the very beginning.
I have not come here simply to lead a school.
I have come here to serve a community.
To serve you.
To walk with you.
To listen to you.
To challenge you.
And, when necessary, to remind you of who you are capable of becoming.
Boys, every one of you is writing a story.
Some of you already know exactly what you want that story to look like.
Others are still trying to figure it out.
And that is perfectly all right.
When I was your age, I certainly did not have all the answers.
But over the years, I have learnt something very important:
Your future is not decided by where you begin. It is shaped by the choices you make every day.
The choice to work hard when nobody is watching.
The choice to be honest when dishonesty would be easier.
The choice to stand up for someone who is being left out.
The choice to try again after you have failed.
The choice to respect someone who may be different from you.
And perhaps most importantly—
the choice to believe that you can become better than you are today.
Trinity has produced scholars.
Trinity has produced sportsmen.
Trinity has produced musicians, artists, leaders, professionals, and men who have served this country and the world.
But I believe Trinity’s greatest achievement is not the number of trophies in its cabinets.
It is not the number of examinations won.
It is not even the number of distinguished Old Trinitians.
It is the character of the men who leave these gates.
Because one day, your academic results will become a line on a piece of paper.
Your trophies will gather dust.
Your titles will eventually disappear.
But the way you treat people—
that will be remembered.
Your character will speak for you long after your certificates have been put away.
So, boys, my challenge to you is simple:
Do not aim only to be successful. Aim to be significant.
Do not ask only, “What can I get?”
Ask, “What can I give?”
Do not ask only, “How far can I go?”
Ask, “How many people can I take with me?”
And do not ask only, “What can Trinity do for me?”
Ask,
“What can I do for Trinity?”
There is another thing I want to say to you.
I want Trinity to remain a place where you are not afraid to dream.
Dream big.
Dream ridiculously big.
Because sometimes, the people who tell you that something cannot be done are simply describing the limits of their own imagination.
If you want to become a scientist, dream it.
If you want to become an engineer, dream it.
If you want to become a musician, dream it.
If you want to become an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot – or something that does not even exist as a profession today—
dream it.
But remember this:
A dream without discipline is only a wish.
So dream big.
And then work.
Work when you feel like it.
Work when you do not feel like it.
Work when people applaud you.
And work when nobody notices.
Because greatness is very rarely created in one spectacular moment.
It is created in thousands of ordinary moments when you choose not to give up.
And boys, I want you to understand something about failure.
You will fail.
You will make mistakes.
You will lose matches.
You will get answers wrong.
You will disappoint people.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things will not go your way.
That is not the end of your story.
Failure is not the opposite of success.
Very often, failure is part of success.
What matters is what you do next.
Get up.
Learn.
Dust yourself off.
And go again.
The most important word I want you to remember is this:
Again.
Failed an exam?
Again.
Lost the match?
Again.
Did not make the team?
Again.
Made a mistake?
Again.
Someone told you that you were not good enough?
Again.
Because as long as you are willing to get up one more time than you fall down, your story is still being written.
And if you ask our Rugby team and our Hockey team about this, they will tell you that champions are not made because they never fall.
They are made because every time they fall, they find the courage to stand up again.
That is the spirit I want us to carry—not only on the field, but in the classroom, in our relationships, and in every aspect of our lives.
Boys, I also want you to know that your Principal’s door will not be a distant door.
I want to know you.
I want to hear your ideas.
I want to hear your concerns.
I want to know what makes you proud of Trinity.
And I want you to tell me what you think we can do better.
I will not promise that I will agree with everything you say.
But I can promise you this:
I will listen.
Because this is not my Trinity.
This is our Trinity.
And together, we have a responsibility to protect what is precious, improve what needs improving, and build something even greater for those who will come after us.
I also want to acknowledge the people who make this community possible every single day.
Our academic staff, who teach, guide, encourage and challenge you—and who help you discover not only what you know, but what you are capable of becoming.
Our administrative staff, who ensure that the life of the College runs smoothly and efficiently, often working behind the scenes to make sure that every part of our community is supported.
And our support staff, whose dedication and hard work often take place quietly, but whose contribution is essential to everything we do—from maintaining our grounds and facilities to caring for the daily needs of the College.
I also want to recognise our Heads of Departments, senior teachers, coordinators, coaches, housemasters, chaplains and all those who carry additional responsibility for guiding both the work of the College and the lives of its boys.
Their leadership, pastoral care and daily example shape the culture of Trinity in ways that are not always immediately visible.
They give their time beyond the timetable.
They attend to difficulties.
They encourage potential.
They notice when a boy is struggling.
And they help turn our values into daily practice.
They are not simply people who work at Trinity.
They are valued members of the Trinity family.
So, boys
respect them.
Listen to them.
Thank them.
And remember: no institution can flourish without the commitment and service of every member of its community.
To every member of staff, I want to say this directly:
I ask for your support, your guidance and your partnership as we move forward together.
I will value your experience, your ideas and, perhaps most importantly, your honest counsel.
My door is open to you—not only when there is a problem, but whenever you wish to share a thought, raise a concern or help us find a better way to serve the College.
I hope we will work together with trust, respect and a shared commitment to our boys and to the future of Trinity.
There is one final thing I want to share with you today.
It is something very personal.
Last month, when I came here for the first-day service with the staff, I remember entering through the gates of the Chapel.
The feeling I experienced was difficult to put into words.
And later, as I walked down from my bungalow towards the Chapel for the service, the feeling was almost surreal.
I remember thinking to myself:
“Is this really happening?”
And at that moment, I felt something very strongly.
I felt that God was guiding me here.
That perhaps there was a purpose.
A plan.
A reason why my journey had brought me to this place, at this particular moment in my life.
And standing here today, I feel that even more deeply.
I have served in education for many years.
I have had the privilege of working with thousands of young people.
But I believe that every chapter prepares us for the next.
And perhaps everything that has happened in my journey has brought me here—to Trinity.
To you.
There is only one thing I wish were different today.
I wish my parents were here to see this moment.
I wish they could have stood somewhere in this Hall and watched their son take on this most humbling and honourable responsibility.
But I believe their blessings are here.
I believe they are looking down from heaven with pride.
And so, today, I want to say something that I perhaps did not say often enough when they were with me:
Thank you, Ammi and Tharthi,
Thank you for giving me the values that shaped me.
Thank you for teaching me the importance of hard work, humility, discipline and service.
Thank you for making me the person I am today.
And wherever you are, I hope I can make you proud.
Boys, you are not here at Trinity by accident.
You have been given an opportunity.
An opportunity to learn.
An opportunity to discover your talents.
An opportunity to make lifelong friendships.
An opportunity to serve.
An opportunity to become the very best version of yourself.
Do not waste it.
One day, many years from now, you will stand somewhere far away from this Hall.
Perhaps in another country.
Perhaps in a boardroom.
Perhaps on a sports field.
Perhaps in a classroom.
Perhaps leading an organisation.
And you will look back at your time here.
When that day comes, I want you to be able to say:
“I gave Trinity my very best.”
Not necessarily that you won everything.
Not that you never failed.
Not that you were perfect.
But that you tried.
That you cared.
That you served.
That you stood up when it mattered.
That you made your school—and the people around you—a little better because you were here.
Boys,
I arrive today as your new Principal.
But I also arrive as someone who believes deeply in the power of education.
And I believe deeply in you.
So let us begin this journey together.
Let us respect our traditions without becoming prisoners of the past.
Let us embrace the future without forgetting who we are.
Let us strive for excellence without losing humility.
Let us compete fiercely—but always with honour.
Let us lead—but always with service.
And above all—
let us be men of character.
Because when all is said and done, the greatest legacy we can leave behind is not what we accumulated.
It is what we contributed.
So, boys, as I stand here on my first day, I want to make you a promise.
I will give you my energy.
I will give you my time.
I will give you my commitment.
And I will always give you my very best.
And in return, I ask just one thing from you:
Give Trinity your heart.
Give Trinity your best.
If you do that, I have no doubt that together we can write another extraordinary chapter in the story of this great institution.
And perhaps, years from now, when another Principal stands where I stand today, another generation of boys will look back and say:
“We were here when this chapter began.”
So let us make this chapter one that we can all be proud of.
May God bless Trinity College.
May God bless every one of you.
And may He give us the wisdom, courage and humility to make the years ahead truly meaningful.
Good morning, boys.
And welcome to a new chapter of Trinity.
Thank you.
Dayan D.L. Fernando
Principal
