Bermuda's future leaders were recognised yesterday at the student council induction ceremony held at the Spice Valley Middle School.

Proud parents, students and faculty crowded the auditorium of the school in Warwick to watch as the council members and officers were pinned.

Shoa Bean, president of the student council, said: "It's very nice being president of the student council now that I know that I am the students' voice. They look up to me as a role model. They really love to have me as president.

"It's really nice to be president because I know that I can make changes in my school and be there for my student body.'' Stephanie Outerbridge, student council public relations officer, said: "I get to make a positive change for Spice Valley. I get to hear what the people have to say and voice their concerns about everything and if they have a problem, they come to me. They (the students) always give you ideas about different things at school and how they think that we can make the school better.'' The students, who will be participating in the council, will be the first student council on the Island appointed at the middle school level.

Another first was Education Permanent Secretary Michelle Khaldun attending her first formal engagement in her new post. Ms Khaldun gave the keynote speech for the occasion after her first three weeks on the job.

"I think that the student council prepares you for leadership,'' she told the students.

"In order to be a leader, one of the first things you must do is have confidence.

"In order to go where you want to go, you have to believe in yourself, you have to have confidence.

"You must be fearless. You must believe in yourself enough to know that even if you do feel afraid your going to go beyond.

"You are going to be courageous. You're going to go beyond that fear. You are going to step out into the unknown. You're going to learn something that you did not know and that takes courage.'' "To believe that you can learn, you can't give up,'' Ms Khaldun added. "You must have commitment. You have to stick to it.

"If you are going to be a leader, confident, one who believes in themselves, one who's courageous, one who's committed, you must have a purpose.

"You must look inside and understand what is my intention? Why am I here? What do I want to get out of my education? What is my purpose? "In order to be a confident, courageous, committed, and purposeful human being, you must connect with the divine. You must acknowledge that sometimes we make mistakes.

"But God in His grace and His mercy forgives all of that. You can't beat yourselves down young people, you can't let others beat you down when you make a mistake. Don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough.

"You're going to have to be passionate. If you are not going to be passionate about what you think your purpose is, what you believe in, the courage, commitment, the prayers are not going to mean anything.'' "When you are a leader you must be passionate,'' Ms Khaldun stressed. "And I, as the Permanent Secretary of Education, am passionate because I know that here sits the leaders of Bermuda.''