Pathways - 1 year on 2018 Year 12 Graduating cohort

s. mckoy, Careers Department, Nov 2019

Photos: top - Zoe Deacon, middle - Zac Marron, bottom - Tobi Sulola

- 2 -

comparative data156 Year 12 students graduated from Catholic College in 2018.

2019 data: below - what students planned they would be doing in 2019 (data taken Feb. 2019) versus what they actually ended up doing (data taken Nov. 2019).

Feb 2019 (planned pathway) Nov 2019 (actual data) Study & Training dataUniversity 52 53TAFE 22 19Traineeship (incl. Defence) 27 26Apprenticeship 15 14TOTAL 116 112Employment dataWork in 2019 and uni in 2020 23 18Work in 2019 and vocational study/training in 2020 8 9Work in both 2019 and 2020 (no study/training plans for either year)

6 12

TOTAL 37 39Not engaged in education/training 0 1Didn’t return contact 3 4GRAND TOTAL 156 156

2020 data: below - what students planned they would be doing in 2020 (data taken Feb. 2019) versus what they now plan they will be doing (data taken Nov. 2019).

Feb 2019 (planned pathway) Nov 2019 (updated data) Study & Training dataUniversity 93 81TAFE 18 17Traineeship (incl. Defence) 4 12Apprenticeship 16 13TOTAL 131 122Employment dataEmployment – post VET qualification completed in 2019

14 16

Employment (no study or training in 2019 or 2020) 8 12TOTAL 22 28Not engaged in employment, study or training 0 0Didn’t return contact 3 6TOTAL 156 156

- 3 -

Ben Hicks Butchery Apprenticeship, Butcher on Rise 5Rory Quinn Health & Physical Education, Deakin University 7Julia Harvey Health & Physical Education, Deakin University 8Zoe McDonald Education (Early Childhood & Primary), Charles Sturt University 9Tobi SulolaGrace Claydon

Nursing, Deakin University 10Nursing, Charles Sturt University 11

Liam QuickChelsea Probyn

Design (Architecture), The University of Melbourne 12Zoology & Animal Science, Deakin University 13

Marnie MatassoniSheridan JonesMeg CoxGrace Burton

Traineeship, Disability Services, Interchange 14Social Work, La Trobe University 15Film & Television, Victoria College of the Arts 16Psychological Science, La Trobe University 17

Jay Tabra Aviation, Swinburne University 18Sam Lawson Commerce/Engineering (Honours), Monash University 19Emma Guy Exercise & Sport Science, Deakin University 20Jock Shannon Accounting, Charles Sturt University 21Declan Patrala Arts (Criminology)/Law, Swinburne University 22Macgregor Gladman Electrotechnology Pre apprenticeship, TAFE NSW 24Natalie Hood Speech and Language Pathology, Charles Sturt University 25Bridget Smits Environment & Sustainability/Biotechnology, ANU 26Sajan Thapa Civil Engineering, RMIT University 28Tom Hanuska Film, Television & Animation, Deakin University 29Finn White Exercise and Sport Science, Deakin University 30Mason Wise Events Management, Wodonga TAFE 31Tammika Evans Veterinary Technology, Charles Sturt University 32Chris Wolfenden Australian Defence Force (Army) 33Ashleigh Craven Business Administration Traineeship, Belvoir Special School 34Kamal Guragai Information Technology, Charles Sturt University 35Carmine Srisombun Engineering, Deakin University 36Chelsea Knight Certificate IV in Design, Wodonga TAFE 37Larissa Williams Business Sales Traineeship, Telstra 38Kaila Collins Criminology, La Trobe University 39Alesha Lefoe Medical Radiation Science, Charles Sturt University 40Laura James Arts/Master of Secondary Education, Deakin University 41Aedan Staats Animation, Swinburne University 42Shai Allan Nursing/Midwifery, Deakin University 43Lily Allan Health & Physical Education, Deakin University 44Jarad Crichton Public Relations, Deakin University 45

stories from 2018 grads

- 4 -

stories from 2018 grads

Emily Twycross Criminology/Psychology, Deakin University 46Lachlan Horner Catholic Identity Traineeship, Catholic College Wodonga 47Tanner Brown Business/Law, Victoria University 48Ellouise Shanahan Exercise and Sport Science, Deakin University 49Karisma Dexter Nursing, Charles Sturt University 50Anita Vogel Agribusiness, La Trobe University 51Allira Bagley-Wilson International Studies, University of Queensland 52Jon Fuaux Diploma of Engineering, Swinburne University 53Luke Colvin Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Deakin University 54Declan Rafferty Political Science/International Security Studies, ANU 55Zoe Deacon Arts, Monash University 56Cam Smith Cyber Security/Criminology, Deakin University 57Sarah Seckold International Studies, Deakin University 58Tim Watson Arts/Science, Australia National University 59Gabriel Crothers Occupational Therapy, Charles Sturt University 60Josh Hood Education Support Traineeship, Catholic College Wodonga 61Paige McKenzie Business Administration Traineeship, Bendigo Bank 62Amelia Cyc Education Support Traineeship, Catholic College Wodonga 63Charlie Brandmeier Plumbing apprenticeship, Branco Boilers & Engineering 64Kiara Fraser Business Administration Traineeship, Steeline 65Zac Marron Combat Engineer, Australian Army 66Theo Smith Employment (uni gap year) 67Will Rattray Employment (uni gap year) 68Mackenzie Bain Business Administration Traineeship, Westmont 69Aengus Williams Employment and global travel 70Marnie Shannon Educator, Bandiana Primary School Out of School Hours Care 71Pippa Salmon Employment - Mittagundi Outdoor Recreation Centre 72

- 5 -

ben hicks

apprenticeship, butcher on rise

What have you been up to this year? Well this year has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride from the get go. At the start of early January I had a falling out with my last job who I worked for during a morning shift, it was a really heated atmosphere and at that point I couldn’t take what was being said to me no more and chose to resign from that job.

Which then led onto 3 months worth of unemployment and lots of applying and going around with a resume in hand trying desperately to find another career or job to undergo and free me from my boredom and lack of motivation due to being in a bit of a low mood for those early months. Just reading email after email of denial work wasn’t a real mood booster either, some not even getting back to me.

Then I finally found a place that would take me in. Butcher on Rise. I have been there since the March and I haven’t looked back since. I only started working there for less than a week and they sprung the question “Are you looking to do an Apprenticeship?” I knew I just had to take the opportunity if it meant pretty much guaranteed work (even though I had not clue about what a butcher actually did besides cutting meat and making it look pretty).

And now roughly 9 months down the track with a few ups and downs along the way, learning the basics to being a Butcher, well there is alot to take in especially when you can’t doze off for a meer second on the job. The course itself being 3-4 years long and plenty to remember keeps it interesting.

Beside all the new beginnings and a New chapter in my life there were also the downs throughout the year. There have been a few family members lost through this year and not just my own but also my current partner, Joyce who I’ve been with since I was still going through Year 12, I’ve stuck by her side through her tough times with losing close relatives.

But to end on a good note, now knowing that I am an Uncle to my eldest brother, Alex’s daughter, Aviana. Which at first was a total shock to me when it happened and wasn’t exactly excited at first, but everyone knows when a baby is very young you can’t resist the cuteness of the stares and the funny faces they pull.

Why did you choose to pursue an apprenticeship? I chose to pursue it because, well it was something new and I was just more determined to learn a new life skill that could be useful to our family as I grew up around cattle farmers when I was younger. I also thought it would be beneficial to have knowing the cuts, what is the best kind of meat and the understanding of what its meant for.

- 6 -

Describe a typical day at work: A Typical day can start at either 8am or 9am. When I arrive at work I might have to do deliveries to schools or other businesses that have requested an early drop off (I also do the CCW drop off mainly as well, so I may appear back at CCW more often than not).

Otherwise first half mainly consists of preparing for the rest of the week and the other two stores that the business also owns in Wodonga and Thurgoona. This can vary a fair bit so I won’t go too much into it but, pretty much there is always something to be done and you can’t day-dream on the job. I generally have my lunch in between 12:30pm and 1:30pm and it goes for half an hour.

The second half consists of finishing off any other late day chores or, chores that weren’t done in the morning as we might not have had the resources to do them then. Late/mid afternoon around 3pm - 4pm is where we comence a full decontamination clean of the back area where the main production is conducted. This generally takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours to fully finish, and is normally done by one person by hand.

Then at 6pm (on weekdays) or 5pm (on weekends) is when the front of the store gets a decontamination clean which can take an hour depending on the amount of customers that enter the store during that time. But can take 30mins to about 45 mins. Sometimes I may have to stay for a closing shift which ends at 7pm or I might get to finish an hour or two earlier (this varies on the roster).

Highlights of 2019?

• Acquiring a new career and apprenticeship to undergo for the next few years.

• Becoming an Uncle to my elder brother’s daughter.

• My brother proposing to his partner Montana.

• Still having a partner to share my experiences with throughout the whole year

• Seeing some familiar faces when dropping off deliveries or even while working in the store.

• Joyce starting her second year in barbering.

What are your plans and goals for 2020? Only have two major things planned which are: me and my partner Joyce have planned to have a 2 and a bit week holiday travelling to Bali for a week, then to Darwin for another week and a bit before heading back to Melbourne and back into the working lives we both have. Hopefully to move out at some point during 2020. And my only goal is to try to make the next working day better than the last, whether that is with productivity or just making the workplace have more of a positive vibe to it as much as possible.

What do you miss about school? The friends you made in school and the groups you formed. Once you’re out in the real working world there isn’t much time to get together with friends and the communication with most of them just fades away after sometime, you might get the occasional message here and there but, in the end you’re still friends. It’s just not as close as you use to be during school as you got to see them and have proper conversations on the daily. And the Teachers, can’t forget the teachers and the bonds you built with them. They were the ones who helped you guide yourself onto the career you want to pursue. They’re one of the true MVP’s through life.

- 7 -

Rory quinn

health & physical education, deakin

What have you been up to this year? This year has been a pretty full on year for me. Doing a Bachelor of Health and Physical education has been very interesting in the different subjects I study and are involved with which range from gymnastics and dance to simple fundamental motor skills and the ways that we can teach them. I also have done a lot of work on the history of teaching and the styles and what that could potentially look like in the future. I also have looked at the different cultures and groups that live within our society and how we can cater our teaching to those groups. I also have been doing some human anatomy which was interesting as well. Overall it’s been a challenging but fun year.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose this course because I thought that I always wanted to do teaching and it was something always in the back of my head as something to do in the future. I chose health and PE as well as maths because my whole life I’ve loved sport and playing sport, and I’m definitely a Maths person more than I am English, so when this course presented itself it was almost an obvious choice. This course wasn’t offered at many universities and I chose to go to Deakin in Geelong because it has a kind of rural feel to it and something that was comfortable and reminded me a little bit of home.

What have been the highlights of 2019 so far? My highlights this year have been definitely the people I have met, which living on res was a major factor in that. Some of the people I have met I know will be friends for a very long time and I’m excited to continue to meet more people living on res again next year. Other highlights have been the things I’ve learnt, I love learning things and how things work so learning about the human body was something I really enjoyed doing hope to learn more. I have also enjoyed living pretty close to the beach and the amount of golf courses that are in Geelong.

Plans for 2020? My plans for next year are hopefully not retaking any subjects from this year (fingers crossed) but continuing to learn and gain personal skills that will help me in the future. Next year I have attained the position of a Residential Leader which involves multiple things on and around residences including event planning and organising (which involves a lot of food), weekly meetings and planning as well as helping people that live on res with whatever problems they might be having and just being a friendly face. I would also like to pass my second year of university with flying colours and continue to develop and grow which I’m sure my RL position and study habits will help me do.

What do you miss about Catholic College? The things I miss about school are definitely the people there. I have a lot of friends that I might have only seen once or not at all throughout this whole year. I also miss the fact that everyone knew everyone back at school in my year level whereas here there are too many people here to remember who they are but oh well. I also miss having really well cooked meals and lunches everyday from Mum.

- 8 -

julia harvey

health & physical education, deakin

What have you been up to this year? I have been studying at Deakin University Burwood this year. The course I’m studying is a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education, so after the completion of my 4 years of study I will be qualified to teach Physical Education, Health and Human Development and Biology in secondary schools. The course itself I have quite enjoyed, the anatomy units in particular. The workload was a lot to adjust to at the start but after the first trimester I had more of a routine in place which made uni much easier and I really learnt to enjoy it.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study this course because I really enjoyed studying VCE Physcial Education and Health and Human Development. I found much of the content really interesting. I also have a great passion for sport and kids so this course felt like the perfect course for me. The highlights from year this year have definitely been living on res and making so many amazing friends. I also really enjoyed playing local footy at the Canterbury Football Club. I met many amazing people there as well and created so many fun memories.

Highlights of 2019 ? Living on res has probably been the highlight of my first year at uni, I have met so many amazing people that I have so much in common with. I say to people a lot that living on res is like having a sleepover with your best friends every night of the week. You come home from uni and study together and then you can just chill out, watch movies and enjoy each other’s company. I would highly recommend living on res, it’s such a great experience.

Plans for 2020? My plans for 2020 are to continue living on res as I really enjoyed that this year and my goal is to just keep enjoying uni and to try my best to continue to achieve good marks.

What do you miss about Catholic College? The main thing I miss about school is seeing all my friends and teachers everyday. At uni you don’t have a close as a relationship with your teachers as you do at school and that’s something I definitely miss.

- 9 -

zoe mcdonald

education (early childhood & primary) charles sturt university

What have you been up to this year? I’ve just finished my first year studying a Bachelor of Education (Early Childood and Primary) at Charles Sturt University. Thankfully I went straight from VCE to higher studies as this has truly benefitted my motivation levels and I’ve managed to retain all my successful study skills. I still work casually in hospitality and living at home while studying is certainly the way to go. My course subjects are so intriguing and I’m learning so much about how children learn and develop.

Why did you choose to study this course? I’ve had a passion for looking after children since I started primary school and thought this degree would be perfect. I always loved school and knew that it was the great teachers who taught me, that made school so enjoyable, and I wish to do the same for the next gen.

Highlights of 2019? Developing a new routine and having my own time to do what I want to do. I’ve met so many great people at uni but have also maintained important friendships from school. Uni wise, I’ve gotten good consistent marks which drives me to keep going. I also got accepted for a volunteering opportunity in South Africa which I look forward to in December, proving that there is always more learning to do and life experiences to be had.

Plans for 2020? I’d love to ace my first uni placement and continue doing well in my subjects. I also aim to change jobs to one that is going to better compliment my studies and benefit me in the long run.

What do you miss about Catholic College? The banter, oh the banter. At the start of the year I missed the 9-3 routine but once I reached second semester I find myself being able to manage my time better and have that work/life/study balance.

- 10 -

tobi sulola

nursing, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? So for this year I’ve been doing my Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin University at the Burwood Campus in Melbourne. The course has been a roller coaster of experiences and emotions! The way in which we learn our content is very independent and self directed, it allows you to understand and learn how to gather information in the most appropriate way to give the best patient centred care.

As for subjects, I found that we did subjects that I wouldn’t of considered needed to be done for nursing, but surprisingly I found the value in them, such as learning how to find the best quality of evidence and what healthcare is like all around the world and the gaps we have in our healthcare system, even in Australia.

As for living on res it has been amazing! There are many resources and events that allow you to settle in and get to know everyone, even well throughout the year. The safety and security of each residential student is also a big priority, with 24/7 on campus security, campus escort security and an app designed to locate where you are on campus and to send for immediate help.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study nursing as it had been on my ‘list of careers’ I’ve always seen myself doing in the future. Seeing not only my parents, but other family and friends go into similar fields and learning their experiences within healthcare, I’d always known that it was something I was passionate about working in!

Highlights of 2019? Highlights of my year have definitely been making new friends from all different kinds of places, growing as a person in terms of my outlook on life and how I approach situations and also working with the general public while on my placements! Working on placement allowed me to appreciate life even in its simplest form and that friendships can be formed in the most unlikeliest situations.

Plans for 2020? I don’t really have a set idea of what my goals for 2020 are, but I’d definitely love to push myself more with my academics and also move out of my comfort zone in terms of my personal life.

What do you miss about Catholic College? Adjusting to life after high-school was initially difficult as we’ve been used to a structured schedule and seeing the same faces almost everyday, so I believe they’ll always be a part of me that misses that. And even though it seems minute, school uniform is the most convenient thing and it definitely will be missed. And of course, I miss all the great teachers and learning mentors that got me to where I am today!

- 11 -

grace clayden

nursing, charles sturt university

What have you been up to this year? This year I’ve begun my first year of university. I am currently completing my first year of the Bachelor of Nursing degree at CSU in Thurgoona. Throughout the year we’ve covered subjects in communication, clinical subjects, biomedical science, foundations of nursing and health law for nurses. I’ve loved studying locally and being able to continue work at my part time job at Woolworths. It’s allowed me to stay close to family and save money quite easily.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study nursing half way through year 12 and at the start it was just what sounded the easiest but when I actually looked into the course and the career, I found it really appealing to be able to learn skills in a health care setting and learn how to care for people.

Highlights of 2019? The highlights of my year have been the overall course, it was a big change from high school and I quickly found the learning was very self-directed and that it was my responsibility guide my learning. The classroom learning has been great but I’m really looking forward to my first placement in November where I think I’ll learn a lot more skills.

Plans for 2020? In 2020 I plan to continue on with my second year of nursing at CSU and hope to find a part time job more relevant to the field of nursing in order to improve my skills.

What do you miss about Catholic College? The thing I miss most about school is being able to see my friends every day. It’s really hard to keep a connection with everyone when you don’t see them all the time.

- 12 -

liam quick

design (architecture), university of melbourne

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been undergoing my first year of a Bachelor of Architecture and minor in Landscape Architecture at the University of Melbourne. I have also picked up a concurrent diploma of german which could last the three years. The subjects that form the course have been interesting and enjoyable, yet I’ve realized how much there is still to learn. The first-year subjects tend to be primarily theory, history, and building principles, which should help in building an understanding of the industry in a broader context.

Why did you choose to study this course? I choose to study architecture because I’ve always found it interesting and never really considered anything else. The choice of studying at Melbourne University was primarily due to the facilities and its educational and employment ranking.

What have been the highlights of 2019 so far? Outside of that boring stuff, I’ve played in the university football (soccer) and water polo team, which has been great for meeting other students with familiar interests. Alongside being part of a few student societies, such as the Mountaineering Club and Architecture Building and Planning society. I’m currently living at a College Square UniLodge in Carlton, it has been very enjoyable and great for holding events.

Plans for 2020? Next year I plan to spend a semester studying abroad, I’m still indecisive on where exactly, but considering either the UK or Germany. My plans for this upcoming year are to improve my study habits at uni and travel.

- 13 -

chelsea probyn

zoology & animal science, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been living on Deakin residence at the Waurn Ponds campus and I have loved living on res, it was definitely the best choice I could have made going into my first year of uni. University life has been interesting.

I have learnt so much this year, not just in my Zoology course, but about myself and my learning habits, strengths and weaknesses. The first year in my course has been slightly similar to year 12 subjects, I haven’t felt overwhelmed by any of the course material (unless I haven’t studied enough) and the study load has been a big learning curve for me, since at uni it is very independent learning.

This year I have studied mostly science units due to my degree being a science-based one. These have included biology, physics, chemistry, geography and environmental units. Studying on campus at Deakin has been very convenient due to the close proximity of residence.

I have also been chosen for and have accepted a leadership position at Deakin residence for 2020 as a second year/returning student. This means I will undergo training to be a ‘Res Leader’ in 2020 and will be able to help both first and second year ‘resi’s’ during their time at Deakin.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study Zoology as I have always had a passion for animals and their environments since I was young, and as I have grown this passion has grown and has driven me to want to study it and become a professional in the field.

Highlights of 2019? Highlights this year have included the pracs that I get to do in my units, especially the biology ones, as we get to more thoroughly understand what we are learning in an interesting interactive way. My favourite prac was dissecting a cane toad. Personally my favourite experiences have come from all the times I have spent with my new friends.

Plans for 2020? Because of my increased interest in the units next year, I want to excel and do my very best to obtain high scores in the units.

Due to my position next year as a Residential Leader, I want to strive to give the other resi’s the best experience possible that they can get whilst living on res. We get so many opportunities to have amazing experiences on res with a range of different and diverse people, that help us create lasting memories. I want to be the person that helps others step out of their comfort zones and experience new things.

What do you miss about Catholic College? About school, I miss the closeness between teachers and students that is created, as at uni we don’t have the familiar, comfortable relationships with lecturers and professors as we did with our teachers. I think the leniency and study opportunities we are given at school are very under-appreciated.

- 14 -

marnie matassoni

traineeship, interchange, UMFC

What have you been up to this year? At the end of last year, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do and I definitely didn’t see myself going to university. I started applying for many different jobs and traineeships based around Albury/Wodonga. I soon got accepted for the traineeship at Upper Murray Family Care’s Interchange program. With my traineeship this year I’ve worked with a huge age group of participants that attend Belvoir Special School at the Interchange’s Before School Activities, After School Activities and School Holiday Program.

Also through the traineeship I’m completing a Certificate IV in Disability. The certificate has been so rewarding in terms of my traineeship as the course is related to different aspects of my job from working with the children to behind the scenes things like OH&S and the legal and ethical concepts of disability.

What steps did you take to apply for the position? I heard about this position through Sandie when discussing different opportunities for me to undertake in 2019. I quickly applied for the position as it fully sparked an interest, and handed in my resume and CV letter outlining criteria for the job requirement. I was then contacted for a formal interview ran by two of the staff members at Interchange UMFC where I answered questioned about my past experience in the workforce, my skills and personality to determine if I was suitable for the job or not.

Describe a typical day at work: A typical day at work includes updating and creating client files, completing my Certificate IV and ensuring there are resources and activities for the after school program. Once participants have arrived volunteers and staff participate in different inside and outdoor play and activities with participants before parents pick them up at 5:30pm, where I communicate to parents any achievements, activities participated in and if there were any challenges clients and staff together have overcome.

What have been the highlights of your traineeship? The biggest highlight of the traineeship would definitely be the participants that I work with every single day. Over the course of the year, I’ve built friendships with the kids, I’ve learnt their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, their vocabulary, their challenges and how they overcome these challenges. I love when the participants look forward to coming to Interchange to talk, to play and to relax with you and to continue to build a friendship with them; when they look forward to coming you know that you are doing something right and that’s always so rewarding.

Why should students consider doing a traineeship? I believe that year 12 grads should consider a traineeship as it is a great opportunity to gain experience, skills and confidence in the workforce and to determine if it was something for them or not before jumping into a university course. I also believe considering a traineeship if students don’t really know what to do in the future; traineeships are great ways to be introduced to many different aspects of workforces.

What are your plans for 2020? I never saw myself going to university whilst I was at school as I never fully knew what I wanted to. But since working at Interchange I’ve interacted with different services that benefit and assist the kids that I work with and others around the local community and I quickly became very interested in the work of a Speech Pathologist. So I’ve applied for Speech Pathology and/or General Health and Rehabilitation at CSU and hoping to begin this soon.

- 15 -

sheridan jones

human services/social work, la trobe university

What have you been up to this year? Early February this year I began my first year studying at La Trobe University Albury/Wodonga, Bachelor of Human Services and Masters of Social Work. Although studying was never easy and there were many challenges that I faced, I made many new friends and I’m living a whole new life.

Studying a whole range of subjects from health, sociology to psychology my motivation to strive for my end goal is what keeps me going. While studying at uni I have started a new casual job at the Regent Cinemas to fill in the time and I feel like all is well at the moment.

Highlights of 2019? Highlights of 2019 include, starting my uni degree, finding a new job I enjoy and spending more time with my friends. I have focused on myself and my future and everything has come to plan, making this year one of my bests.

Plans for 2020? My goals for 2020 is to make it through and pass my second year of studying at La Trobe while also completing an exchange program at the end of that year. I’d also like to find my own place and move out of home to become more independent and start new beginnings.

What do you miss about Catholic College? I miss the good environment, set routine and the friends and community I was always around.

- 16 -

meg cox

film & television, victorian college of the arts

What have you been up to this year? This year I began my first year of studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television) at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. It’s a busy course with a lot of contact time (30 hours per week) and a smaller cohort (14 people in my course), but this year has flown by and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

We focus on the practical skills that we need to break into the film and tv industry and we are given opportunities to explore stories that we want to tell - all to develop our own creative voice. This year we have completed workshops on learning to use lighting and camera gear, we did storytelling classes where we’d write stories and share them with the class, we made three short films - with all peers crewing on each other’s films - and learnt about films made in the Classical Hollywood Landscape – basically it’s been a blast!

I currently live at one of the Melbourne University residential colleges which has also been a great experience, and I would fully recommend it to any students wishing to move away from home for University. It’s been a great way to make friends and settle into Melbourne life.

Why did you choose to study this course? When thinking about what to study at university, I really wanted to do something creative and loved doing media in year 12. I visited the university on it’s open day and fell in love with the collaborative atmosphere and the stories its current students were telling through art and particularly, film.

Highlights of 2019? My favorite thing about this year would be the people I’ve met, both through university and through college. College constantly organizes social events, so you are constantly meeting new people and making new friends, and since the cohort in my course is unusually small, it’s been easy to make friends in my classes too. My course has also been a highlight of my year. There are days where I am mesmerized by the talent of my peers and lecturers. It’s a really nurturing environment, and you are taught by experienced professionals who have worked on phenomenal projects and inspire you everyday.

Plans for 2020? For university, a goal of mine is to make a drama short film – as I usually make comedies – as well as look for more opportunities to collaborate with the different streams of courses at The Victorian College of the Arts e.g. music composers, dancers, animators. I also plan to move out of College into a share house with friends met through college and university.

What do you miss about Catholic College? Since my course involves a lot of contact time and a smaller cohort, going to university everyday feels quite similar to school. It’s a nice transition to university as you still get to see your friends every day and have consistent teachers and lecturers that you see etc. I think if my course was different, those would be the things I miss most.

- 17 -

grace burton

Psychology, La Trobe university

What have you been up to this year? At the beginning of the year, I decided that the accounting traineeship that I was doing for my gap year wasn’t for me and that I really wanted to kick off my university studies. With a lot of help from the fabulous Sandie, I began my studies at LaTrobe University Albury/Wodonga campus studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science. Some of my favourite subjects that I’ve studied this year have been Anatomy, Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience and Experimental Foundations of Psychological Science.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose this course because it is still specific to the career pathway that I want to go down in Psychology, but it is also broad and exposes me to many different career opportunities that I was not aware of at the beginning of the year. It leaves a lot of doors open for me to branch into many different areas and workplaces. I’ve always enjoyed learning about the body, mental health and how people work, and this course opened me up to a completely different side to why humans behave the way we do.

Highlights of 2019? I have loved studying locally, I have made so many new friends and can still continue doing the things I love at home such as water-skiing at the weir and snowboarding at Falls Creek and Hotham. Because I’ve been working a lot and saving money by living at home, I have been able to save to go on a few holidays throughout the year, including an overseas trip to Bali which was a really amazing and eye-opening trip.

Plans for 2020? My plans for 2020 are to smash out the second year of my course and hopefully complete 4 weeks of placement that goes towards one of my third year subjects. I also want to continue to save money and go on another overseas trip later in the year.

What do you miss about Catholic College? I feel like we had such a close year level and everyone connected a lot better in year 12. I miss seeing everyone, especially all of my friends that have moved away. We all went from seeing each other every day to now only when everyone can fit it into their busy lives. I also miss the help and support all the teachers provided us at Catholic College. University study is so different from high school, its all self motivated and there isn’t someone constantly checking up on you to make sure you’re on the right track.

- 18 -

jay tabra

aviation, swinburne university

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been undertaking a bachelor of aviation with a graduate certificate in piloting at Swinburne university. This course is split into two ‘sides,’ the uni side and the ground/flying school side. With the uni side, I’ve met some very impressive lecturers and I’ve studied units on the basics of the aviation industry, aerodynamics, the human body and flying, regulations and operation procedures, basic aerodynamics also some maths and physics related to aviation.

The ground/flight school side has been much more exciting and significantly more intense than uni. In my flying lessons I have been able to learn how to fly a plane and refine my skills as a pilot, they now trust me to fly solo!!! Ground school covers the theory side like airspace procedures, air law, flight planning, aircraft general knowledge, meteorology, aerodynamics, navigation, and human factors. These combined allows you to be able to pass the exams and get the flying experience needed to get your private license and your commercial license. This years focus has been on the private license which has been quite challenging since I had little background knowledge, it has since become easier.

This course has been very intense with a base of 40 contact hours a week and when you count the actual flying lessons I’ve had quite a few weeks where I’ve reached 55 contact hours. The first semester was quite stressful as I had a ground school exam/test every week and a half on different topics which I was definitely not prepared for but the second semester has been easier as I know what to expect and we only have 4 theory exams being 3 weeks apart.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study this course as I have always had an interest in aviation ever since I was a kid. I chose this pathway as I thought it’d be a little bit easier compared to getting my pilots license privately and other pathways. Having the HECs/FEE help is also highly beneficial as any pathway would be quite expensive and I would’ve had to worry about paying for the course and studying too if I had done another pathway.

Highlights of 2019? Flying is probably the best highlight, especially flying solo for the first and every time after that, knowing that I am able to safely take-off, fly and land is quite incredible, especially when you butter the landing, there’s of course been a few reminders that if you don’t fix a mistake in flight it could be the end which is kinda thrilling and just makes it more exciting. Another highlight of mine comes from living away from home, I’ve realised how much I enjoy cooking for myself and exploring new foods and tastes which I totally did not expect.

Plans for 2020? My goals for next year is to continue with course but with better scores also not to make any bad mistakes, I would also like to continue expanding my culinary horizons and I would like to be more social.

What do you miss about Catholic College? The things I miss about school are just seeing my friends every day, the teachers being so approachable, and also living at home.

- 19 -

sam lawson

engineering/commerce, monash university

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study engineering as it was something that I had wanted to do for several years due to it being very hands on and practical which I enjoy doing. I hadn’t planned on doing commerce until closer to the start of this year, where I added it in to complement engineering. Doing these two degrees has worked really well as is means I’m able to mix up my studies with different areas that can still relate together in the future.

Highlights from 2019? This year I have had so many highlights. Living on residence has definitely been one of these. It has been really good to meet people who are in a similar situation as me, as they have also needed to move away from home. At the residence there are always events and other things to do which are lots fun and makes it really easy to meet new people and make good friends.

Plans for 2020? Next year I am planning to continue the same course as I am really enjoying it. I will try to stay on residence again next year too as I have met a lot of people this year which I will stay on with. I am also hoping to do further travel overseas within the next few years.

- 20 -

emma guy

exercise & sport science, deakin

What have you been up to this year? I made the move down to Geelong in early February to attend Deakin University, and was accepted to live on Res. At first I was studying Health and Physical Education but realised that I didn’t want my course to restrict me just to teaching. So I decided to transfer courses and I am now studying Exercise and Sport Science which gives me more options for career choices after graduation.

My Res experience was a rollercoaster of emotions as I was unhappy in the unit I was placed in which influenced a rapid decline in my mental health. However, I was moved into a new unit and had a much more enjoyable and worthwhile time. I love living in Geelong and have made some incredible memories thus far.

Why did you choose to study this course? I initially chose Health and Physical Education because I enjoyed learning Health and PE during year 12 and I loved going out to primary schools to teach classes to the younger students as part of VET Sport and Recreation. As I began the course though I realised that I would like diversity in what careers the course can offer after completion and that just wasn’t available in that current course. That’s why I made the transfer into Exercise and Sport Science after the first trimester and I am now loving what I’m learning.

Highlights of 2019? I have met some of the greatest people from all over Victoria after moving to Geelong and have made some pretty incredible friends. The easy travel to all the footy games in Melbourne by train is definitely something I haven’t taken for granted, and the student rates aren’t so bad either! Just finishing my first year of uni has been a highlight for me considering all the changes that were made throughout the year.

Plans for 2020? I have no real big plans or goals for 2020, but like this year I guess my main goal will be to get through the uni year. I would like to get a job to fill in some extra time or join a sporting club to meet even more people in another type of community.

What do you miss about Catholic College? I miss the social life! It’s been strange not seeing all your classmates every day after spending 6 years with them. I miss walking into school everyday because by the end of year 12 it just felt like my second home. And the rapport I had with my teachers compared to my uni lecturers is massively different, so that’s also something I miss about school.

- 21 -

jock shannon

accounting, charles sturt university

What have you been up to this year? So far this year I’ve been working at an accounting firm in Albury and completing a Batchelor of Accounting part time at CSU Thurgoona. It’s been pretty flat out working full time and doing uni as well but work has been really good at helping me make time for for studies which is a massive help. I’ve finished 4 subjects this year so far and have every intention of getting through some more next year.

Why did you choose to study accounting? I chose my degree as I enjoyed some work experience that I did back in yr 11 at an accounting firm and had my older brother follow a similar career path and gave me an insight as to what it’s like. I didn’t think I’d like working full time and studying part time to begin with but being able to learn in the work place is just as important as the degree itself I’ve found.

Goals for 2020? For the next coming year I wish to be able to knock over some more subjects for my degree. This will help me develop in my own work place and expand my knowledge in different areas which I’m really looking forward to.(boy did they learn to work harder). Next year I am looking forward to awesome university internet speeds!

- 22 -

declan patrala

arts/law, swinburne university

What have you been up to this year? This year has been a massive year for me!! In addition to my intensive degree of Law/Arts (Criminology Major/Business Law Minor), I have found employment as a law clerk and like to spend my spare time just exploring what the city of Melbourne has to offer.

My course is intensive and time consuming, especially the Law units. While I only have 12 contact hours a week, most of my time is spent studying, writing assignments, reading 1000’s of pages of case law every week as well as just generally trying to consume and manage the massive workload and content that comes with a law degree. Although it is a massive task, I love what I am doing and it is definitely worth putting in all the time as things do eventually start to click and while it may be hard, it also very satisfying.

I have been lucky enough to find a job as a law clerk at a firm in Melbourne. Working there 3 days a week, I am immersed in the legal profession of which I learn the theory in class. While it may sound cliché, I consider work to be my learning and uni just gives me the tools I need to succeed. While it is long hours and sometimes high pressure, time sensitive work, I learn something new about the law everyday and the experiences that I take from it help my degree and overall legal knowledge massively.

Living on res in 2019 has been an experience! From late nights partying, to late nights studying, to friends and fire alarms and so much more. I was in a ‘college’ style accommodation, where everyone had individual rooms with communal kitchen and bathroom. This has sometimes been challenging, for example cooking with 7 other people around you isn’t easy, and sometimes the ‘party mentality’ of others is contradictory to my ‘study mentality’, however it is definitely an experience I would recommend.

Everyone comes from the same boat of ‘new city and I don’t know anyone’ and as such the first few weeks of getting to know people is great and I have made friendships that will extend beyond uni, as well as gained life skills which I never needed before. It is experience with ups and downs, but an experience that is definitely worth having.

Why did you choose to study this course? In my final few years of high school, I was fairly certain I wanted to study law in some capacity, so that was never really in doubt for me. The hard question (and the answer in which I changed literarily a couple hours before preferences closed) was what to partner it with, Law/Criminology or Law/Business. I never was that interested in criminal law, and always saw myself practising in a civil or corporate capacity. However, the LLB (Law degree) contains lots of business related units anyway.

I will complete units such as company law, taxation law and commercial law on my LLB journey, which are directly related to business. I have friends doing the Law/Business combination, and them talking about subjects such as marketing or public relations makes me think I made the right decision for me, as I am not interested in that aspect of the course. I have undertaken a business law minor, which includes units such as law of employment and law of commerce, which I enjoy and is what I find really interesting.

- 23 -

declan patralaCriminology is great and really interesting!! Even subjects that are not really going to be useful to a legal career, such as forensic psychology, are really good even just to break up the strenuous law subjects and to gain new and interesting information. Some subjects, such as policing and cyber crime, become applicable to law as well and it’s really interesting to learn these concepts from a social science perspective rather than a legal one, which I think has opened up my mind a bit and definitely been worth doing.

This degree also opens up a lot of career opportunities such as corrections, policing and crime institutions such as VOCAT. For one reason or another, Swinburne was the only uni I wanted to go to (which is why I am doing arts, as they didn’t offer straight Law/Criminology). It is great!! The staff are friendly, it is accessible by public transport, there are shops and attractions around and it is relatively small (Only 70 kids in my course). I honestly have felt right at home here and would 100% recommend it to anyone who is tossing up between unis.

What have been the highlights of 2019 so far? Well... where do I start? I think moving away to the big city is daunting, but it does present plenty of new and exciting things! From great nightlife to awesome attractions and events to nice Sunday markets or even just the multitude of shops and retail stores. Just exploring this city world has been a real highlight and I definitely would tell anyone to make the most of a new city and what it has to offer. Also, creating new friendships that will last a lifetime! I have met so many special and amazing people and this has not only made the transition easier and more enjoyable, but gives you access to fun and new experiences you never knew existed!

On a uni front, there are a lot of highlights too. There is a certain satisfaction in passing your first semester, handing in your first assignment or even just rocking up to class each week to learn about a complete new aspect of the law I had never even heard of until my lecture preparation! It is amazing to talk to lecturers and find out how knowledgeable and passionate they are in their chosen area, which is really inspiring and makes you want to learn more about everything! I have recently been nominated and elected to the executive committee of the Law Society for 2020, so that is also a big highlight for me and an exciting opportunity heading into 2020.

And lastly, but maybe most importantly, I can’t forget about my job! I rock up to work every morning excited for what the day will bring! There is always something interesting happening, and being a part of the firm and experiencing the day to day struggles and successes of lawyers and the firm is something I look forward to when I wake up every morning. I really enjoy just being apart of it all and immersing myself in the profession and learning more and more about it and how it works in real life.

Plans for 2020? I think at this stage I just want to continue with what I am doing at the moment and keep it going! I have a good course, good job and good friendships and honestly I am very satisfied with my current situation. I want to keep learning about and experiencing the legal profession and the law, through both work and uni. I also want to do more exploring around Melbourne and find some cool and exciting activities and locations.

I have signed up for a soccer team for 2020 so I am very excited to get back into sport and meet new people through that as well as have a bit of competitive that I missed out on in 2019. I am moving into a 2 bedroom apartment on campus with a mate in 2020 so this will also be an experience I am looking forward to!

What do you miss about school? Definitely the structure and consistency of it! While uni is great, it is very self directed and you are not given reminders and constant supervision about assignments and upcoming events, it is largely on you to organise everything and keep track of everything. While this is not a bad thing, I do miss the structure of school and the fact that everything was fairly mapped out for you.

I also miss seeing my friends everyday and always knowing that I can turn up and there is always someone to talk to or something to do. Uni means your friends may not have classes the same day as you, people work more and some of your friends are not even in the same city as you! Uni is great and there are lots of it that I love but school was really enjoyable too and looking back does make you miss it, especially Year 12 and the bonds you share with peers and teachers!

- 24 -

macgregor gladman

electrotechnology, TAFE NSW

What have you been up to this year? I started the year with an electrical pre-apprenticeship course, which is a 4 month theory course designed to give you a head start in an apprenticeship. It was really interesting to learn some of the basics of being an electrician and there were a lot of fun people in my class. When that finished I moved to Falls Creek for winter to work as an attendant on the ski lifts, which was one of the best experiences I’ve had.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study it because I’m interested in doing an electrical apprenticeship somewhere down the line, and the pre-apprenticeship course gives me a cert II qualification that a lot of employers look for when they’re taking on new apprentices.

Highlights of 2019? Definitely working at Falls Creek. Working and spending your time off with amazing people in such a beautiful place, theres really not much you can’t enjoy about it. Well, maybe the 1 degree days when it’s raining and the wind is blowing a gale and you need to shovel a massive mound of snow and the rain is soaking through all 5 of your layers, but thats just part of the job, and the hot shower at the end of the day is always something to look forward too.

Plans and goals for 2020? I plan to head back to the snow next winter and do it all again, and until then I just plan to be finding some jobs that will keep me going up until then. An apprenticeship can wait until 2021.

What do you miss about school? Seeing everybody. You don’t really think about all your classmates you see every day until its over. Of course you keep in touch with people and you see your friends but it’s just not the same.

- 25 -

natalie Hood

speech & language pathology, csu

Why did you choose to study this course? I was really interested in health and allied health care, I’ve always wanted to do something in that field. I tossed up nursing and paramedicine (probably my dream job) but sadly realised they would likely not work out for me due to the physical requirements and me having a disability. Then I was left with allied health options such as occupational therapy and speech pathology.

So with some ideas in mind when I put in my preferences for CSU I chose to apply for a Bachelor of Education K-12, Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology and a Bachelor of Health Science which I wasn’t really interested in, but thought why not and put it in. I received unconditional early entry to all three midway through my year 12 exams which relieved a lot of uni and ATAR pressure for me. In all honestly picking speech pathology was a bit of an accident as I left choosing my number one preference a few minutes too late and speech happened to be the one at the top of the list - which was pretty much what I had wanted anyway.

Highlights of 2019? For me in all honesty this year has been pretty hectic for me in terms of both my personal life and university. As with anything in life you can’t predict what is going to happen, and one thing impacts another. My first year of uni has been a challenge to say the least, and definitely a learning curve for me but I’m happy with how things have gone so far. In my year of speech pathology there are only 12 students, our class is tiny. As a result, we’ve all got to know each other pretty well and are quite close compared to my friends in Melbourne with cohorts of hundreds who never see the same people twice.

As a class we’ve had some struggles and issues throughout year, but we’ve all stuck together and survived first year. Personally while this year has been crazy, I’ve finally managed to get a car and be able to drive (even though I’m still stuck on my L’s - sad times), after four long years of waiting. And not moving away to Melbourne or living on res has given me the opportunity to save money, and more importantly see my dog every day. All in all 2019 has definitely had some rough moments, but it has had some really good ones too.

Plans for 2020? In 2020 I’m hoping to do better at uni than I have this year, while I’ve passed everything I often haven’t done as well as I would have liked. Otherwise I’m hoping to get a better understanding of speech pathology and how I could be working in the future, second year is based on paediatric speech. Next year I’d also like to be able to travel and go back overseas before third and fourth year get too busy. While I am still very interested in speech pathology, I am considering possibly studying occupational therapy in the future.

What do you miss about Catholic College? Despite what a lot of people say about not missing it, I actually have missed school a bit. Mainly because, we only have the majority of subjects for a semester and as a result we don’t get to have the same bonds with lecturers as we have had with teachers and also LM groups. While you see your lecturers often, it’s not the same as in school. The level of rapport is very different between school teachers and students, and lecturers and their students. I also miss not having to reference every single thing that I write about in every assessment, referencing is so time consuming.

- 26 -

bridget smits

environment and sustainability/biotechnology australia national university

What have you been up to this year? This year I moved to Canberra to begin my studies at the ANU, where I am studying a flexible double degree of a Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability and a Bachelor of Biotechnology. I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in a residential hall, Wamburun Hall, where I have learned how to live independently in a cohort of around 400 other students of all different ages and backgrounds.

The college experience has allowed me to make many lifelong connections and has helped me step into adult life while living in very close knit community. I have really enjoyed living in Canberra this year, which was quite a last minute change of mind from my expectations that I would be studying in Melbourne. It is a beautiful city with a slow and relaxed pace and I have been given many opportunities to be involved in the community and the university through sporting and work commitments as well as volunteering through my res hall and other groups.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study these degrees because I have always had a strong interest in science and after Year 12 was keen to leave the world of English and humanities behind me! As someone that has always had a passion for the environment, I thought it would be fitting to study Env. and Sustainability. I have learnt a lot about the different physical aspects that make up our environment as well as how governments, policy makers and societal groups control the way we use and interact with our environmental and how essential it is for us to protect it for future use.

It has encouraged me to give up my obsession for online shopping and I now carry a metal straw with me wherever I go! But more than that it has taught me to appreciate the natural world that we utilise and has shown me the importance of looking after our world and how we can go about doing this and I have been encouraged to be more involved in making my voice heard in terms of decisions that impact our futures. I think the knowledge and understanding that this degree provides will be essential for the future and I like to think that one day I will be able to make a small impact on improving the world we live in.

I chose to study Biotechnology as I think it has a lot of practical application to the world of science and with the skills I will gain from this degree can be paired with my environmental knowledge in creating applications and technology that can help provide solutions for scientific problems. Over the course of the year I have studied Biology, beginning to zone into microbiology, Chemistry, Australia’s environment, where we learnt about how old and dry our country is and all the different environmental factors that contribute to this and how species have adapted to this.

I also undertook a geology and ocean science course and an environmental statistics course. Having taken such an array of courses, I have begun to narrow down my interests so I can begin to choose which area I would like to major in. I have really enjoyed the science side of Env. and Sustainability rather than the social policies side, so would like to potentially apply my learning to an environmental management area.

- 27 -

bridget smitsIn the coming years I am looking forward to specifying my interests and really getting into the courses I enjoy, as a lot of first year has been about building on prior high school knowledge and has been about providing building blocks of knowledge to help me in later years. In other words I am excited to not have to continue learning about basic chemistry and statistics in later years.

Highlights of 2019? This year I have thoroughly enjoyed the many field trips I have been sent on as part of my courses. My courses have taken me to the beautiful pristine beaches of the south coast, the slopes of Mt Kosciuszko on numerous occasions and in varying weather events as well as many local areas in Canberra.

I have found that I have an unexpected passion for rocks, as I have spent so long out in the field looking at them and their impact on our landscape and have learnt about them across a number of courses. As I am studying two science degrees, the amount of hands on lab work I do is quite high, which I have really enjoyed. I get to perform various chemistry experiments that I have found are quite a bit more exciting than in high school and have loved learning about experimental techniques in biology.

I have also thoroughly enjoyed living on res this year as I have had the opportunity to be involved in a vast array of events and groups that have helped me to step out of my shell and develop myself as a person and have made many amazing friendships that make it a lot easier to feel at home while not living at home.

Plans for 2020? Next year I am excited to move back onto res as one of the more senior students and to further step into my role as part of the community. I hope to further specify my interests and start branching into areas of my degree that I find really interesting and hope to explore potential courses that take me overseas to expand my horizons and understanding of the environmental world outside of Australia.

What do you miss about Catholic College? I miss the closeness of a lot of my classes, as now I walk into a lecture hall filled with 400 other students! I have found the work load I have now is three times higher than in high school and I seem to have about three assignments due every week but I find I am also now better equipped to push through the constant and never ending study despite also having a lot more on my plate, such as cooking my dinner and doing my laundry, which are things I didn’t have to worry about previously. Something that will always remain special about CCW is the strong relationship between the student cohort and the teaching and support staff, which is something I really appreciate now, having moved away from that learning environment.

- 28 -

SAJAN THAPA

CIVIL ENGINEERING, RMIT university

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study Civil Engineering for many reasons. When I was 7 or 8 years old growing up in Nepal, I always had the passion to become an engineer and it was my dream to become one. Since moving here In Australia at the age of 10 I have had the best opportunity and advice when it came to education and career. But at a very young age, I didn’t know there were so many types of engineers so as my schooling went on, I gained knowledge of the types of engineers. I then soon came to realise that the engineer’s role in society is very important.

So, then I decided to study Civil Engineering at RMIT, as I wanted to know how such buildings, bridges, roads, and all these structures were made. This fascinated me a lot, for a kid that came from a 3rd world country. For me, RMIT has been an amazing place be and to do my course they have provided me with hands-on experience as well as getting amazing help from passionate teachers and friends. This makes me very passionate to continue with my studies and it shows that Civil engineering is very demanding in our society as our cities are only growing.

Highlights of 2019? So far, this year living in student accommodation, working at the accommodation and studying what I love has been the highlight of the year. As I have made very close friends from all around the world, along with university friends that are very passionate about their course and studies. This has also made my social life more exciting as well because friends have made it easier for me to move out of home and adapt to the vast city life.

Goals and plans for 2020? This year has been quite the challenge, but now since I have adapted to the city life hopefully 2020 will be a lot easier, and hopefully, Uni won’t be too challenging. But this year in my course it has been quite challenging as there are new subjects that I haven’t done and they are all new to me, but I have been able to pull through it nicely.

What do you miss about school? I miss a lot of things about school, but the main thing for me would be the community of CCW that I miss the most, and the easy connection with teachers when I need the help, I miss that a lot. Apart from that University and student’s life has been amazing and I love every minute of it.

For those that are thinking of doing higher education and thinking of moving to Melbourne or elsewhere I highly recommend it, you will for sure learn a lot of things and gain general life experience for future. And for those that want to study Civil Engineering at RMIT, I highly recommend it. RMIT has one of the best and world-class labs and facilities for students, and they put a lot of focus on Civil Engineering and Engineering in general.

- 29 -

tom hanuska

film, television & animation, Deakin University

What have you been up to this year? My year has been interesting and unexpected with what I’ve been up to. Studying Film, Television and Animation has opened my eyes to the wide and collaborative industry to do with film. Trying things that I’ve had some experience in my VCA media year 12 course and completely new things to me that I never gave the opportunity or time.

For example, I had the opportunity to experiment with animation and 3D modelling in a media designed course. This being a broad course it has given me the opportunity to drive towards my passions and the new things that excite me. I have been delving into editing and cinematography which has been a new area for me this year. Getting the opportunity to work on a low budget set as a Runner has been an interesting experience of getting a brief feel of work and being able to see all different kinds of roles in action.

Why did you choose to study this course? Media in year 12 for me helped me explore the surface of the type of work and creativity that goes into film. I found analysing films interesting and appreciated the thought and effort that goes into the details of the film. This being a collaborative industry I found that appealing and wanted to explore the wide variety of opportunity’s that goes into this creative process.

Highlights of 2019? Highlights has been the freedom and independents I’ve experienced that I have fallen into. Renting a house has been challenging and a stressful experience for me but I have slowly become more comfortable each months rent. Living off Centrelink has been bliss and I’ve truly been experiencing the young, wild and free life style that all whippersnappers dream off.

Plans and goals for 2020? I plan to do my second year of Film, Television and Animation at Deakin. I am focusing more on editing and cinematography units that will excel my knowledge into my interests. I plan to achieve work in the big city for casual work as I feel comfortable with my first year of uni experience to dual wield work and studying.

What do you miss about school? I miss the banter, drama and gossip. Everyone in uni has matured to a level where they keep goss civil and tidy. Respecting this on a level of adulthood but I have realised that High School gossip is as good as Clueless and Legally Blonde but real life. I also miss the support and guidance of Sandie McKoy + BaNteRs.

- 30 -

finn white

exercise & sport science, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? This year I have chosen to go straight into studying at Deakin University, where I am undertaking a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science, majoring in Exercise Physiology. I’m taking this course full-time so for both Trimesters I have completed 4 subjects, with a total of 8 for my first year. 6/8 of these subjects are core requirements for the course which includes;

(TRIMESTER 1): Human Structure and Function, Physical Activity for Exercise and Health. Human Growth, Development and Ageing for Exercise Scientists

(TRIMESTER 2): Functional Human Anatomy, Research Methods and Statistics in Exercise and Sport, Essentials of Exercise Delivery. For each of the trimesters, you are required to pick an elective, either aligned or not with the course, I chose: Muscle Biology for Exercise Science and Principles of Sports Coaching.

The workload for Trimester 1 was less strenuous than Trimester 2, as 2/4 subjects in Tri 2 had hurdle requirements of a practical exam and featured more lectures and classwork. For living arrangements, I started my year on University Residence. Res is a fun environment if you make the effort to put yourself out there to make new friends, but it can also be a very lonely place if you don’t take those opportunities or are in a smaller room.

The conditions of Res are great in buildings MB and MC as they are new apartment blocks with various study spaces and areas. Due to the cost of Res and other factors in my experience, I chose not to stay on for the 2nd Trimester and lived off campus for the remainder of the study year.

Why did you choose to study this course? Exercise and Sports Science is something I’ve always had my sights set on since early high school. I’ve always had sport in my life and I enjoy many aspects of biology and science too. Deakin offer a great course with amazing facilities at Burwood and is ranked as one of the best universities in Australia for its course. It’s a very flexible course that allows many pathways after study to head down and gives you accreditation with ESSA.

Highlights from 2019? This year has had many highs and lows, I’ve managed to move away from home and live in a big city quite well and have enjoyed the activities Melbourne has to offer. I’ve met many new people at Deakin and from student residence and enjoyed the various parties and events that have ran during the semesters. The second trimester of my course I was able to achieve various high distinctions for my course work and stuck to a good study plan. I enjoyed most of the time I was living on campus but enjoyed living by the bay more for the remainder of the year.

Goals and plans for 2020? In 2020 I want to excel in my placement opportunities and achieve higher marks in both trimesters of course work in order to poise me for my final year of study in 2021. I also want to create a better system of organization for both my study and everyday life to stay on top of both work and uni hours. I would like to take up more permanent or part time work as well as undertaking a competitive sport again and complete more fun runs.

What do you miss about school? One of the things I miss about school is mainly the regular interactions with classmates and teachers. I made some great friendships over my time at Catholic College and enjoyed my experience as a whole at school. Another thing that I miss is how organised teachers were in VCE when telling you what to do and how, whereas University is a big step up as you aren’t spoon fed everything and most things are up to you to be proactive about.

- 31 -

mason wise

What have you been up to this year? This year has been an extremely busy year with fantastic opportunities in studies and work. I have been studying a Diploma of Events at Wodonga TAFE along with working as a Sound & Lighting Technician for; Scots School Albury, The Cube Wodonga, Oz Sound and Lighting, Albury Sound & Lighting as well as Wise Productions (my own business).

I have also taken on a role at Catholic College as the Media and Publications officer covering for Hayley who is on Maternity leave. I have also recently become an events officer for Wodonga Council. At the start of the year I was appointed in my role of the Australian Air Force Cadets as a staff member in the roles of Social Media Coordinator (Victoria), Training Officer and Squadron Executive Instructor.

Why did you choose to study events management? I chose to study Events Management as it was an area I had previous experience in and thought I would enjoy furthering my skills and experiences. I thought the course would involve a lot of practice in the field and give me a great head start into the events industry.

Highlights from 2019? I have had some fantastic memories and experiences throughout this year and some of my favourite ones include working for Ball Park Music, working on the big stage at the Deni Ute Muster and working with Ruby Field & Baker Boy. I’M excited to be working on the Elton Jon Day On The Green later this year.

Goals and plans for 2020? My plans for 2020 is to continue to work within the industry of Sound, Lighting and events and continue to develop my skills as well as my business. I hope to be constantly learning from others and become a better technician and events manager.

- 32 -

tammika evans

veterinary technology, charles sturt uni

What have you been up to this year? During 2019 I began studying veterinary technology at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. It has been an incredible experience by commencing studies in the veterinary science profession that I have always dreamed of being part of. This course has allowed me to start learning and undertaking placement in the field that I have been interested in ever since I was a kid.

The subjects that I have undertaken this year include animal anatomy and physiology, animal genetics, veterinary nursing processes, microbiology, chemistry, animal ethics and welfare. These subjects are all linked to the field that I wish to be part of and has increased my interest in studying and learning as it is applicable and relevant to my future occupation. I moved onto residences which has been a fun and exciting move from home where I have thrived as I enjoy the independence and being surrounded by some young and forward-thinking people that have taught me so much.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study veterinary technology as I am interested in the veterinary science profession which has allowed me to learn and grow my knowledge of the profession as well as other linked fields such as agriculture.

Highlights from 2019? A few of my highlights from this year so far would be moving onto campus at Wagga, I have met so many incredibly special people that have positively impacted my life more than I ever thought could be possible. I found a job locally in Wagga and it has given me a support crew away from university and out of the campus bubble which has allowed me to support myself both financially and personally. Another highlight from the year would be that I have been nominated to act as 2020 president of a club at Wagga that plans events for students on residence which I am very excited for.

Goals and plans for 2020? Depending on my success regarding my application of entry into veterinary science/veterinary biology in Wagga. I will either change courses or continue with veterinary technology, once again staying on residences in Wagga and being a part of the university community.

What do you miss about school? I miss how organised and planned school was, I would go to school knowing exactly what classes I had and when lunch was, so I could do a birra run for some good old hot chip feeds! I also miss how I would see my friends every day without having to converse about it. I truly have loved finishing and leaving school but everything that I learnt throughout my time at Catholic College, especially the values and life lessons that I gained are always with me and I could never thank Catholic enough.

- 33 -

chris wolfenden

australian defence force (Army)

Why have you been up to this year? This year I have undertaken a gap year within the Australian Army in the role of a ‘Command Support Clerk’. My time in the ADF begun on the 15th of January 2019 out at Wagga Wagga where I conducted my three months Recruit Training where we were given 16 hour working days and pushed physically and mentally. Once this time was complete I was posted to Wodonga to complete my initial employment training where I became qualified within my Employment Category (ECN). After my three month posting to Wodonga I posted out to Sydney as a fully qualified Command Support Clerk to conduct my job at the School of Military Engineering.

The ADF Gap Year has given me many highs and lows but an overall positive experience and assisted heavily in me becoming fully independent. Although I thought many times throughout the year that the ADF was not for me I am very glad I have stood by it and seen the year out as the benefits have drastically outweighed the con’s.

My work duties throughout the year have been very diverse, as the year has progressed, due to becoming more qualified within my job and posting locations. The first three months was just packing as much content into everyday as possible ranging from a 2 hour lecture on Military Law to conducting combat first aid. Once the initial three months were conducted and I posted to Wodonga this was majority theoretical lessons where we were prepared for our day to day job that we would be conducting at our new unit.

Why did you choose to pursue a career in the ADF? My reasoning for joining the ADF was because it was a way to get the most out of my first year out of school. My main concern through schooling was about wasting my first year out of school so I decided earlier in 2018 that I would apply for the ADF Gap Year program so I had more options come the end of the year in regards to what I would do after school. I chose to do the gap year instead of going off to university straight away as I wasn’t 100% sure on what degree I would like to pursue and the gap year would allow me plenty of time to decide on what career was for me. The gap year was also a great way for me to develop on my current skills to help me with future employment opportunities whilst making a reasonable wage.

Describe a typical day at work? A typical day of work for me begins with morning Physical Training (PT), then off to the office where I am tasked by the 2nd In Command with what my duties for the day will be. Along with this I monitor the electronic administration ‘inboxes’ of the chain of command in the wing and make sure the works of my wing are all in order keeping everything running smoothly. One of the major parts of being in the ADF is that your daily job usually varies as I have found out first hand this year. My job has had me sending emails in the morning to going to the range for shooting practice in the afternoon. The Defence Force gives limitless opportunities and great variance in your day to day work allowing for a exciting work day and plenty of opportunities to try new stuff such as adventure training or traveling around Australia with sport.

Highlights from 2019? The highlights of my gap year has been meeting a whole new group of people, networking and building relationships that I will have for the rest of my life. This has also forced me to move out from home and become independent which has been one of the best things for me and moved me all the way to Sydney. More of the highlights of my year has come from testing my limits physically and mentally throughout the year.

Goals and plans for 2020? My plans for 2020 are to continue my employment in the ADF in either Sydney or Brisbane at a new Unit allowing me to explore another avenue of the Army. I have also changed my university degree from studying a bachelor of Business in Melbourne to studying a Bachelor of Business with a Major in Finance and Accounting online and I plan to resume studying this over 2020. This will allow me to continue full time employment within the Army and make it more achievable for me to remain financially stable and the Army will also contribute to funding my degree through one of their study schemes. This will open up more options for me in the years to come allowing me to transfer to an Officer Specialist role in the ADF or allow me to get a job in the civilian employment range of my interest.

- 34 -

ashleigh craven

Business administration traineeship belvoir special school

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been working at Belvoir Special School in the office as a traineeship. I have loved working here as it has confirmed for me that I am wanting to become a teacher and work with kids of all ages and even maybe working in a special school. The job itself has mainly been in the office but at some points of the week I do have the opportunity to see the kids in their classroom when delivering notes, medication and other things. Working here is not what you would expect for a special school, there are so many activities and events going on you are always busy. While working at Belvoir I have been doing a Tafe course of Certificate 3 in Business which is easy to do around the work I have at Belvoir. My work duties include a numerous things, mainly helping staff members, following up with parents, helping on school events and helping leadership with tasks they need done.

Why did you choose to pursue a gap year traineeship? When I looked at the option of deferring or going to University it didn’t worry me either way as I knew I would be happy in either decision. The main reason I took a gap year was because of the job at Belvoir, when I first got told about it I was instantly wanting to know when I could apply as I love kids and I knew it would be such a different experience working with special kids of all age groups. I don’t regret taking a gap year I think it made my decision even clearer that I wanted to become a teacher.

Describe a typical day at work: A typical day I come into the office at 8, log on and activate the day so teachers can mark the roll. Then the kids and buses start to come in about 8:30 and some students have to bring their phones and iPad to the office, so you have that daily contact with those students who do it every day, while the students are coming in the phone is always busy in the morning with phone calls for kids who are sick, or are coming in late and there is also when kids are dropped and you need to call the classroom to come and walk them up as its safer and easier.

After the morning rush which stops around 9:30, from then on there is work to do, filling, Tafe, tasks from teachers, the Principal, leadership - it keeps you busy, you do all kinds of jobs till about 2:30pm when the afternoon rush starts to happen as the bell goes at 3. The afternoon bus runs are crazier as kids get picked up or go on buses home and sometimes kids by carers and workers, after 3:30 it’s more just doing little bits till 4 when I finish, and other days there could be staff meetings, training, afternoon tea, all days are different which is good.

Highlights from 2019? Highlights of my year from my traineeship are by far the kids, the best part of my job is the kids, whether they are the naughty ones or the sweet ones they are so cute and I have loved talking to them.

Goals and plans for 2020? My Plans for 2020 at the moment are moving down to Melbourne on the 10th of February and then University starts about the 24th of February. I have just enrolled into University, very nervous but so excited. Note: Ash will be studying the Diploma of Education Studies at Victoria University.

What do you miss about school? I miss the teachers that I worked really well with, and of course my LM teachers. I feel like it hasn’t changed that much as I am working around the same times as what I was attending to school so routine wise I haven’t changed but more having the weekend and the weeknights free is so good not worrying about homework or SACs.

- 35 -

kamal guragai

information technology, charles sturt uni

What have you been up to this year? I have been studying the Bachelor of Information Technology at CSU this year. I’m currently doing exams and about to finish the first year of uni. In short, uni has been really great this year especially since it is a course that I’m really interesting in and get a joy out of learning.

It was challenging at first adapting to uni from high school but I’ve really settled in now. I’m currently doing 4 subjects in each session and I have the ability to choose a specialisation in a certain I.T field. I am really interesting in Systems Administration and Networking and hope to further my studies in these fields.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose this course at CSU as I’ve always been interested in I.T from a young age. I started fixing computers and making websites since Year 7 and wanted to further pursue my interests in I.T. My dream has always been to work in a big IT firm.

Highlights from 2019? My highlights this year has been socialising with people from uni especially with a variety of people studying IT. I’ve been able to gather knowledge from older IT students and lecturers who have had successful careers in IT and be able to talk to them about their experiences.

Goals and plans for 2020? My plan for 2020 is continue to do well in my course and fix mistakes that I could have done better in the first year. I’ve learnt so much from this year in terms of study methods that i want to use next year to better my marks.

What do you miss about school? I miss having being surrounded by close friends every day and being able to sit down and chat with mates for hours.

- 36 -

carmine srisombun

engineering (global scholar), deakin university

What have you been up to this year? This year I decided to go straight to university after my year 12. There were many different changes happened this year including moving away from home and making new friends. I am doing Bachelor of Engineering at Deakin university; it is interesting because the majority of this course are male. But everyone here is so nice, and I never feel left out just because I am female in the engineering course.

The subjects for this year are a basic subject for engineering such as maths, physics and coding. I am living on res this year and found that it is a wonderful place to stay and people here are so nice as well. There are heaps of events that res provides for residences such as free food, res sport, or even movie nights. I am very happy with my first year of uni and looking forward for next year too.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to do engineering because I am enjoying and interesting in mathematics, calculations and problem solving which are the skills that mostly use in engineering field. And because engineering is very broad in terms of career, this will give me opportunities in the future to try out many different things and skills over my career.

Highlights from 2019? the opportunity to gain my independence since I have to move away from home. The friendships that I gained this year is a really big highlight of my first year of uni. I made a lot of new friends this year including the friends from engineering course, friends who live on res together, and friends who met on the uni’s events. The facts that I have to be responsibile and organized for both my daily life and the course work gave me a fun and big challenge of my life.

Goals and plans for 2020? In 2020 which will be my second year of engineering, the subjects will be more specific to my major and will start to do some actual project too which sound really interesting for me. And also looking forward to making more friends and having fun with them.

What do you miss about school? Because in my opinion school and uni are really different. I miss the school atmosphere where most people knowing each other and the care from teachers toward students.

- 37 -

chelsea knight

Certificate iv design, wodonga tafe

What have you been up to this year? During my gap year I studied Cert IV in Design at Wodonga TAFE. Creatively, I’ve learnt a lot from many different fields, from photography to video skills to graphic design. This course allowed me to gain skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas that I enjoy exploring.

Why did you choose to study this course? I wanted to further my knowledge especially in graphic design, as it is something I can do as a side job whilst studying at university. This course also offered a lot of subjects that I enjoyed and want to further develop in, so choosing this to study in my gap year was an easy choice for me.

Highlights from 2019? At the beginning of the year I wasn’t sure on what I wanted to study at university, and I wasn’t ready to move away. This gap year has been very refreshing and has allowed me to grow and prepare for university. I’ve also been able to just work and focus on things I love like music, whilst enjoying my time at home with my family.

Goals and plans for 2020? For 2020, I want to go to Swinburne University to study Media and Communication in Digital Advertising and Screen Production. I want to enjoy life next year and take on any challenges that I know I’m going to face with the big life change. I know I’m going to grow as a person and that excites me, as well as all the new people I will meet and collaborate with.

What do you miss about school? My time at school was awesome, especially being at Catholic College with all the amazing people I was surrounded by. I miss constantly feeling apart of a community, at Catholic College I felt all of us were in it together and being surrounded by fun people everyday was something I definitely miss.

- 38 -

larissa williams

business sales TRAINEESHIP, telstra

What have you been up to this year? This year I decided to pursue a traineeship to help me decide what I wanted to study at university in 2020. I completed a certificate III in Business at Telstra where I learned more about how businesses run on a day to day basis. At Telstra, I deal with all different types of customers daily. They can range from billing queries, phone upgrades and complaints. I have gained a variety of skills from working at Telstra which will continue to help me when I leave for university next year and well into the future.

Why did you choose to undertake a traineeship? I decided to have a gap year this year to take a break from studies before I go to university in 2020. I wanted to spend my year working and gaining more life experience before heading to uni. Through working at Telstra, I have gained more life experience.

Describe a typical day at work: A normal day at Telstra includes serving all different types of customers who all have different concerns or issues with their accounts. I spend my time helping customers with phone issues or helping them upgrade their phones. I have to deal with legal binding contracts and personal information which I have to ensure is not compromised during any interaction with a customer. I also have to communicate effectively with customers in order to help them to find the best solution for them.

Highlights from 2019? The highlights of my year so far have included completing my traineeship and getting my certificate III in Business management. As well as enjoying the year off studying and spending time with my family and friends.

Goals and plans for 2020? My plans are to study Cybersecurity and Criminology at Deakin University in Geelong. I am hoping to have a great year at Geelong and meet lots of new people and have a great experience at university next year.

What do you miss about school? The thing I miss the most about school is getting to spend every day will my friends at school. I have really missed every one’s company this year and hope to meet up with some people next year at Deakin.

- 39 -

kaila Collins

criminology, la trobe university

What have you been up to this year? During this year i have been studying a Bachelor of Criminology, overall the course has been fairly interesting. I’ve had classes where we look into the order and disorder of crime, different forms of containment-from prisons to detention centres, understanding crime and the factors behind it, as well as looking at criminal law in the criminal justice profession. I also took psychology and sociology electives in the semesters, which i found really interesting and helpful to my course.

Why did you decide to study this course? I chose to study this course as a way to get into a double degree of law and criminology, as well as I’ve always had an interest in crime and the different factors that are behind the scenes.

Highlights from 2019? Highlights from this year include having guest lectures from actual professionals in the criminology and law field, as well as being able to meet some great people.

Goals and plans for 2020? Some plans and goals I have for 2020 is to personally look after myself a little bit better than I did this year, and be able to slow down enough to enjoy whats happening around me. And some uni goals I have is to hopefully look into studying abroad as there some incredible opportunities in my degree currently, and there also some prospects for summer internships at different law firms, prisons, and other criminology professions which is something I’m very interested to look at.

What do you miss about school? Whilst this year has been great, it has definitely been an adjustment to what I’m used to. It’s strange to go from seeing a group of people everyday for a few years and then to suddenly not see them everyday is different, but I find the main thing I miss about school is the structure of it. It’s just another thing to adjust to however, going from a set time for classes and how the day goes to now having uni classes for 2 or 3 hours and 2 day breaks between them is quite the change.

- 40 -

alesha lefoe

medical radiation science, cHARLES STURT UNI

What have you been up to this year? Going to uni is a completely different experience then school and I’ve had so much fun. Although medical radiation science is a difficult course and requires lots of work, I’m so glad that I chose it. This year we did lots of theory and only 2 weeks of placement, however over the next 3 years we get to do another 56 weeks on placement, which will really prepare me for once I finish my degree. I also lived on res this year and will continue to do so next year as I believe it adds to the uni experience as you get to meet so many people!

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study this course as when I did work experience in the medical field I had so much fun and could definitely see myself doing that in the future. Although I knew it was going to be a very full on course, which it is I feel as though the subjects I chose in year 11 and 12 have helped me with some of the content. I also have always been fascinated by the human body therefore this course seemed to tick all the boxes for me.

Highlights of 2019? My highlights this year have been moving out and living on res at CSU Wagga as I’ve meet so many amazing people and had so much fun, as well as gained independence by not living at home. Another highlight has been making it through first year and realising that I have made the right decision to go to uni and study my course as I’m really enjoying it. My biggest highlight of the year was going on placement as I enjoyed interacting with both patients and staff, as well as being able to use the content we have covered and use it in the real world, this placement has made me look forward to future placements.

What do you miss about school? The main thing I miss about school is getting to see my friends everyday as now it is much harder to get everyone back together as all of us have gone down our own pathways and or moved away, although we still see each other sometimes it doesn’t compare to seeing everyone one everyday. Another thing I miss about school is how much support and guidance you have around you as uni is so different and although the resources are all still their, it is a much more fast-paced environment and it makes me miss how enjoyable school actually was.

- 41 -

laura james

arts/secondary education, deakin university

Why did you choose to study this course? When I was younger I never knew what I wanted to be or do and I think this translated into much of my school life. Despite having quiet passions or talents for numerous things, I never felt it necessary to share these with anyone (particularly at school) or make a career out of them. As I progressed through year 11 and 12 I knew I wanted to pursue a tertiary education outside of Wodonga. Upon starting university I changed my course and majors from commerce and arts to journalism and communication to sociology and fine art and finally to secondary education. Education had always been a possibility that was put to the back of my mind. I heard countless times that ‘those who cannot do teach’ and that ‘teachers are people who don’t know what to do with their lives so they stay at school’.

Within a short time of moving to Melbourne and living alone, I realised that adults can be (at least in my experience) perpetually negative and pessimistic despite having made the choices that they currently complain about. During long day shifts at my casual KFC job in-between uni, I would always look forward to night time change over when the high school students would clock on. There was a naive and refreshing optimism in the way they carried themselves and I think this is the untold secret of education that makes teachers themselves feel inspired. Today I am currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Secondary Education majoring in Literature and Politics and Policy. I can confidently say that although it was not obvious at the time, the teachers and mentors at CCW inspired and engaged me to become a great teacher myself. Despite not being an outstanding student and perhaps not showing the appreciation for my teachers that I now want to, I’d like to thank them all, because I now know it is only onwards and upwards from here.

Highlights of 2019? Moving away from home immediately after school was something that I had my heart set on for a long time. Despite some immense moments of loneliness during my time living on Deakin Burwood res, and realising how much I hate not having a dishwasher, I am forever grateful for the experience. Other mentions go towards being harassed by homeless people while on trams, drinking plenty of bad vodka, meeting heaps of new people, being completely independent, missing my mums cooking, going to trashy dress-up parties and continuously being lost/late or stressed. Although they weren’t all highlights, they are now memories that I am again grateful for because they made me grow up a lot in such a short amount of time whilst allowing me to overcome and learn so much on my own.

However, a significant highlight for me was joining Deakin’s Cheer and Dance club, becoming part of the executive team and successfully competing throughout the year. During year 12 I tore my ACL during a skiing accident and my physio said I wouldn’t be able to properly play sport for a year. Initially, I was gutted because I had plans to get involved in plenty of university sport. I kept up with physio and training exercises and immediately became a member of Deakin Sparks cheerleading team when university commenced. I am proud to say that we placed first in our division during State Championships against many other amazing universities and teams.

Another personal highlight was discovering a course and career path that suits me. I feel as though a lot of the widely discussed and popularised career paths at CCW revolved around science and health, commerce or business or alternate pathways through apprenticeships. It’s difficult to truly find your own desired career in a country town whilst having expectations of parents or judgement from other students. Moving to Melbourne for almost a whole year really helped me overcome this.

Plans and goals for 2020? It might seem insignificant but I’d really like to have my Ps and a car by early 2020. When I moved to Melbourne I was still 17 and I didn’t have enough hours so I couldn’t get my licence even when I turned 18. I’m also planning on moving to Melbourne with my sister and a family friend so I am really excited about that. In terms of univeristy, I want to look into studying abroad and I’m planning on going to as many Deakin events as possible. Currently, I’m doing three summer subjects and working back-to-back shifts at a cafe during the day and a restaurant at night. I love being busy, and I find working in hospitality comes naturally and it’s always social. During 2020 I’d like to further this by trying bartending as well as taking up more sport and exploring Melbourne.

- 42 -

aedan staats

animation, swinburne University

What have you been up to this year? The first year of the Bachelor of Animation at Swinburn in Hawthorn as been incredibly hands-on with limited theory work, mainly focusing on developing basic and advanced drawing skills, learning industry standard software as well as equipment. Personally I found this to be fun and engaging for me as we are allways doing something creative.

Why did you choose to study this course? I choose to study the Bachelor of Animation course as it was one of the courses recomended to me, as well as after visiting a few uni open days as well as looking at the course content, it was the closest to what I wanted to pursue as a career in the future.

Highlights of 2019? The biggest highlights from my year has come from my equestrian sport, being lucky enough to compete internationally twice. Which was amazing but It was during the uni semester so I had to play catch-up.

Goals for 2020? In 2020 I will be trying to get part time animation or graphic design work in Melbourne so I am in the industry while studying.

What do you miss about school? The thing I miss the most about school at Catholic College is the people in my year level, although I try to catch up with those I am close to, it was always fun to see what random thing people would do at lunch time.

- 43 -

shai allan

nursing/midwifery, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? Hello everyone :)

I’m Shai and this year I commenced my Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery degree at Deakin University in Melbourne at the Burwood campus and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what I am learning. I study both nursing and midwifery subjects as well as general health subjects. I lived on res this year and made some beautiful friends who I love very much.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study this course because I love looking after people and showing kindness in every way possible. I also love to challenge myself and put myself outside my comfort zone which this course definitely does. My course involves 1600 hours of clinical placement over the four years in a variety of tertiary and specialist hospitals around Melbourne.

I have already been to work at four different hospitals, looked after many people and this has definitely forced me to do things I’m new at and not very comfortable with however each hour involves invaluable life-changing experiences through which I have learnt so much. Something I wish I knew more about the amount of pregnant women I will need to recruit and follow during pregnancy (10 women) as well as the extra learning that I have to do during placement when most other degrees are finished for the year.

All of this is 100% worth it when you get to be the first hands that touch a new life coming into this world... I wish I was more prepared for the millions of tears of love, joy, frustration and fear but my goodness it has changed my life. You get to see women at their most vulnerable and see a side of them they don’t show anyone. I cannot wait to commence my studies again next year and build upon the skills I have learnt, I am truly privileged to be able to study what I do and is something I will always be grateful for. Also, if you are reading this and know anyone who is pregnant please let me know!!!!

Highlights of 2019? After just completing first year, my highlight was definitely delivering my first baby. It was an absolutely scary, heart-warming and beautiful experience I will take with me into my future nursing and midwifery career. This year I learnt to and now regularly give injections, meds, set up iv lines, calculate medications, document, handover to other medical staff, deliver placentas, examine baby, give baby injections as well as more general clinical skills like washing, feeding and aiding in mobility. This year has been crazy however I wouldn’t change it for the world because after all what doesn’t challenge you doesn’t change you!!

Goals for 2020? In 2020, I am moving off Deakin Res into my own house in Melbourne and settle more into my own life. I aim to continue with my good grades, keep putting my all into my placement and continue to make new friends and relationships. I honestly am just excited to deliver more babies!!!

What do you miss about school? Duh the teachers and staff!! I absolutely miss all the amazing staff at Catholic College and all the effort they put into every lesson. I loved coming to school every day knowing I would be able to learn something new and have fun doing it!!

- 44 -

lily allan

health & physical education, deakin University

What have you been up to this year? 2019 has been one of my most memorable and challenging years to date! The year began with a scary and very exciting relocation to the Big Smoke (aka Melbourne). Here, I enrolled at Deakin University in Burwood and begin my 4-year journey in the hopes of becoming a Secondary Teaching through completing the Bachelor of Health and Physical Education (Secondary). My hours have been filled with many late nights of the night before the due date essay writing, sporting activities, dance and gymnastics, education classes and even 14 days of professional placement. My spare time has been filled with many dates with my twin sister Shai, walks and runs, plenty of coffee, enjoying all the experiences Melbourne has to offer and finally many long drives up and down the Hume Freeway to Wodonga to see my family.

Why did you choose to study this course? In my opinion, having the access to an education is one of the best gifts in the world. Ever since I was in Year 9, teaching is a profession I’ve always wanted to peruse. The ability to give young people a foundation for the rest of their lives is an outstanding and extremely rewarding career. Helping others and inspiring them to be the best they can is one of my biggest passions, so to be able to do this for my whole life is amazing. Through my many discussions with Sandie in Year 11 and 12, I found out that teaching is an extremely difficult pathway to follow at University as it is very challenging to pick the exact subjects you want to teach as they are bunched together e.g. arts or science. The Bachelor of Health and Physical Education (Secondary) was my best option as it allows me to teach PE and English- two subjects I really wanted to learn how to teach. I loved English and PE during high school so I decided to go with these subjects in university. I’m a strong believer that the subjects you are really passionate about are what you should go with because if you love them, ultimately you will pass this love onto your students.

Highlights of 2019? My placement! I was assigned to Doncaster Secondary in Melbourne for two weeks during the start of trimester 2. Here, I was given the opportunity to experience the life of a Health and PE secondary teacher. At the school I was able to help and interact with the children and honestly, I just couldn’t believe that one day I would get paid to teach as my job. Another highlight of my year has been my volunteer work at a Primary School which caters for student with additional needs. Every Tuesday I would spend my whole day at this primary school helping the children learn and support them however I could. Volunteering was such a normal part of my routine back at home and finding somewhere I could give back in Melbourne made the transition a bit easier.

Goals for 2020? Continue to study my degree! Living on Res was definitely an experience for me, however, next year I plan to move off campus and get my own house with a few university friends. This should hopefully help me get into my own routine and making the relocation a bit easier. I also might join a netball or sporting club around the area. I might also try and see if I can study linguistics or psychology subjects in the future as I would love to one day teach English Language and Psychology too.

What do you miss about school? I miss the people. Both my friends and the staff. The college has such an amazing relationship with its students and I loved the approachability of staff and the friendly faces. I miss my beautiful friends so much as well, but I know they are all doing amazing things with their lives so that makes me so happy

- 45 -

jarad crichton

public relations, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? This year I made the move down to Geelong to study a Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations) at Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus. Moving to Geelong has been one of the best decisions that I could have made, as I have grown and matured as an individual. This year I was living on res in a studio at the Waurn Ponds campus, which I would recommend to anyone considering the move. Living on res was the perfect place to meet so many new friends and be a part of the whole uni experience.

In terms of my course, I’ve loved studying Public Relations as there are so many different aspects that you learn about. This year I’ve had the opportunity to study units based on strategic writing, making of social media, communication in everyday life, advertising principles and practices and several more interesting units.

Why did you choose to study this course? I initially choose to study Public Relations as I loved English and writing throughout VCE and year 12 and believed that it would be a course that was well suited for myself. However, since completing my first year of uni, I’ve come to realise that I not only enjoy critical writing but I’ve really enjoy the other aspects of the course such as social media and how influential it can be and the side of Public Relations that involves problem solving and how communication plays such a major role in our everyday lives.

Highlights of 2019? The biggest highlight this year was definitely having the opportunity to move to Geelong. I’ve absolutely loved living here this year and having the chance to explore what Geelong has to offer. I’ve had the best year so far and I’ve met some amazing new friends which I can guarantee will be life-long friends. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely been difficult leaving my family and friends but the constant support I have gotten from everyone back in Wodonga this year made the transition to Geelong a lot easier.

Goals and plans for 2020? In 2020 I’m planning to continue onto my second year of university studies and making the most of the year. I’ve also planned to move off of res as myself and three friends are moving into a house in Geelong. I’m also planning to do more travel next year, whether that be a trimester abroad through Deakin or traveling independently.

What do you miss about school? The thing I miss the most about school is definitely seeing my friends every day. I also miss how you could really connect with your teachers and ask for help whenever you needed it, which is something that isn’t exactly there with some of my university lecturers.

- 46 -

emily twycross

criminology/psychology, deakin University

What have you been up to this year? I started at Deakin University in Burwood in 2019. I am studying a double degree in criminology and psychological science. In my first year, I chose philosophy-based electives, which challenged me to think differently but I really enjoyed them. In both trimesters I received distinctions in my electives. My core subjects were criminology, psychology and health-based units. I absolutely loved the criminology units. I enjoyed the psychology and health units a lot, although finding them harder than the others. I lived on res this year and I absolutely loved it! Being the social butterfly that I am, I just loved getting to know loads of different people from all different walks of life and building really great friendships with them.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose this course because it is not as specific as other courses I looked at. It includes units that I really enjoy and love learning about. The fact that the course is not as specific allows me to keep my options open when it comes to looking for a career.

Highlights of 2019? I have had so many highlights this year. Attending Deakin’s res ball was such a great night, celebrating with everyone from res, including staff. Another highlight was our res netball competition. It builds relationships with people on your floor, everyone gets so competitive and passionate, it’s great. Finally, another highlight was finishing my first year and passing all of my exams.

Goals for 2020? Plans for 2020 include smashing my 2nd year at uni, academically and socially. I would like to achieve distinctions in all of my units. Another goal of mine is to balance my uni work, social activities, work and sport.

What do you miss about school? I miss absolutely everything about school. My whole school experience was the most enjoyable time of my life so far. I miss seeing my friends all the time, I miss the uniform, the relationships with the teachers and high school life in general. Catholic College and I were a perfect match and I was so heartbroken when I had to leave. I am so grateful for my time at Catholic College and the lessons I have learnt because they have shaped the person I am today.

- 47 -

lachlan horner

catholic identity traineeship, catholic college

Why did you choose to pursue a gap year traineeship? I choose to pursue this wonderful opportunity to build up them skills to become the best educator I could possibly be. Working in the school environment was the best way for me to learn the responsibilities and skills you need to have a teacher. I choose it as well to help me to decide whether it was the right decision for me to become a teacher. Also, to work alongside the fantastic staff at Catholic College Wodonga like Rob Horner.

Describe a typical day at work: Minecraft. No, for me it’s either organising a retreat, running activities in classes, talking and planning with students, supporting students in their assignments, and making sure the resources for camps/retreats are ready to go

Highlights of 2019? Highlights, look been plenty but working with the great CT has been a highlight. We were talking the other day and I realised that she has been my Principal, then teacher, and now boss. Amazing. Learning off her and seeing how she works has been a true honour. I also dislocated my elbow this year and have got a heap of attention. I love it! Also getting paid to go to school.

Goals and plans for 2020? I am heading down to Melbourne to study teaching. I have the goal to choose either Primary School or High School teaching. Or even both. I also have the goal to understand the tram and train system.

- 48 -

tanner brown

law/business, victoria University

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been at Victoria University studying a double degree, Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business. My first year has been predominately law subjects, in particular criminal law subjects because that’s where my interest lies at this stage. It’s been a great first year, I lived on res and I’ve made some of my best mates by living on res.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study Law and Business together because I was good at both those subjects at school and honestly still don’t know whether I want to go down the law pathway or the business pathway. Luckily they can both tie into each other so it helps a lot having both qualifications at the end of university and makes me a lot more employable.

Highlights of 2019? The highlight from my year so far has definitely been living on res, partying every week with my best mates and playing footy with them every Saturday!

Goals for 2020? In 2020 I’m transferring across to Deakin University to study Commerce/Law. The course itself is pretty much exactly the same as the one at VU, but for me it just made more sense to take advantage of the fact I had the scores to get into a more prestigious university.

What do you miss about school? What I miss about school is having that close relationship with teachers but also I miss being with the boys every day and getting weird together.

- 49 -

ellouise shanahan

exercise & sport science, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? During 2019 I completed my first year of Sports and Exercise Science at Deakin University in Melbourne whilst working part time. I lived on student residences which I loved as I made some amazing friends and enjoyed the convenience of being on campus.

Why did you choose to study this course? Persuing a career in the health and fitness field appeals to me and Sports and Exercise Science is a flexible degree that I am hoping will send me in the right direction. The course involves applying knowledge and skills in the field to improve performance and health which is a big passion of mine.

Highlights of 2019? For the future, I plan to do a post graduate course this being either physiotherapy, chiropractic or osteopathy. I would however be open to transfer into one of these courses if given the opportunity.

What do you miss about school? I loved school and the relationships and connections that came with it. Although I still am in contact with many friends, I do miss seeing all the familiar faces every day. Having constant support from all the teachers and staff is something that I also really miss.

- 50 -

karisma dexter

nursing, charles sturt University

What have you been up to this year? This year I completed my first year at University. I’m studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Charles Sturt University in Thurgoona. I have done subjects that taught us how to communicate with patients, classes on general nursing practice, a class of the laws and legislations we must know as nurses and a class covering biomedical science. Going to uni in Thurgoona allowed me to continue working at Woolworths a few hours a week allowing me to save money and continue being near family and friends.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study nursing because I want to be able to help people. It also seems like a job that will bring something new every day and will continue to challenge and educate me.

Highlights of 2019? A highlight from this year was completing my first placement. I did two weeks of working in aged care and was able to care for residents in different areas of the nursing home like dementia and palliative. It was definitely a challenge for the first few days as it is something I have never done before but I’m very grateful for the opportunity as it helped me understand that it is a job I really enjoy and want to continue doing.

Goals for 2020? I don’t have any specific goals for 2020 but I want to continue and complete the second year of my course and learn new skills in nursing on placement.

What do you miss about school? The main thing I miss from school is being able to see my friends every day, as now were all working and studying which makes it difficult to see them.

- 51 -

anita vogel

agribusiness, la trobe university

What have you been up to this year? I originally planned on taking a gap year where I was going to spend much of my time at the sale yards (training to become a stock agent) and at home working on the family farm, I have instead started and finished my first year at university studying a Bachelor of Agribusiness, as well as landing a job at Parkside Produce, whilst still managing to go home and help out on the farm.

There is no doubt that I believe I have a little too much on my plate whilst studying full time, but I can confidently say I am honestly that lucky! I have learnt so much studying and working in the same field of agriculture. The new opportunities that keep arising for me are endless and to be honest for the first time ever, I have no idea where I’m going to be after university, because I’m enjoying too many fields of work all at once.

Although I study Agribusiness locally in Wodonga at LaTrobe, I couldn’t stress enough to people that staying at home has saved me time and money. The course has also been just as good as any away from home in my opinion.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study Agribusiness because I have always been passionate about the agricultural industry and the business side too which helps keep the books in check. I believe it’s the heart and bones of the economy we live in today and its slowly diminishing as more and more farmers sell up to corporates who develop the land into housing estates. There are also countless job opportunities that come with degree.

Highlights of 2019? I have two main highlights from my year. The first one is my job. I couldn’t of asked for a better team of people to work with. I’m continually learning new things every day and meeting new people all the time. The second highlight was based in Shepparton funny enough. For my agriculture subject, we had to spend a week in Shepparton and travel to a few different farms, where we learnt about their operations and how some of them use new technology to speed up efficiency in the process of grading apples for example.

Goals for 2020? My plans for 2020 is to continue studying and working for another year. My goal as per usual is to pass another year of university and to take all the opportunities that arise for me at work.

- 52 -

allira bagley-wilson

international studies, Uni of queensland

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been studying a Bachelor of International Studies at the University of Queensland (majoring in Spanish and International Relations). It’s a really interesting course; I’ve been able to develop my skills in another language (i.e. Spanish) while also learning some really fascinating things about global political interactions. I’ve studied courses that have focused on terrorism, international organisations and peace and conflict issues, to name a few. I’ve loved being able to live in Brisbane and I’ve met some great people from my university course and beyond.

Why did you choose to study this course? This course is really interesting and I feel like the increasing interconnectedness of the world has made it more relevant (especially considering countries like the USA under the rule of Trump have tried to pull back from this and put themselves at the forefront). In this course you can directly see its significance to how the world is today and I find that I can now more accurately form opinions on these matters.

Highlights of 2019? There have been a lot of highlights this year; from moving to Brisbane - including its perfect Winter weather - and getting to take weekend trips in areas near here (e.g. Noosa, Gold Coast); from meeting lots of amazing people, many of whom are now friends; from getting into uni and studying some fascinating courses. It’s honestly just been an amazing year.

Goals for 2020? My plan is just to do as much as I can, and have fun doing it… smash university grades, spend weekends on the coast with friends, are just some of the examples.

What do you miss about school? If I’m being honest, there isn’t anything I really miss about school. I honestly love what I’m up to now and wouldn’t change it!

- 53 -

jon fuaux

Diploma of engineering, swinburne university

What have you been up to this year? This year I have accomplished my goal of completing the Swinburne Diploma of Engineering (UniLink). I have really enjoyed myself this year with finding the studying compelling and enjoyable. I would highly recommend first year students if possible, to live at the on-campus College, which has a common kitchen and mess hall, as this helps introverts like myself to meet more people.

Why did you choose to study this course? My hobbies somewhat revolved around different disciplines in engineering, unfortunately I didn’t meet the required ATAR score, but was able to enter the Diploma of Engineering (UniLink). This Unilink course had the exact same subjects as first year Engineering, but with additional class sessions, this meant that I gained 100% credit for first year engineering.

Highlights of 2019? Overall the entire year was such a positive growth period that I am immensely grateful for. It would be difficult to differentiate what was my highlight was in uni as all of my classes were highly satisfying. With the res ball being a social highlight of the year.

Goals for 2020? Completing second year electrical engineering.

What do you miss about school? The community and community events.

- 54 -

luke colvin

engineering (electrical & electronics) (global scholar), deakin university

What have you been up to this year? My Uni course is a Bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering at Deakin Burwood. It has taken some time to get used to the university teaching style but overall the course has been extremely challenging and rewarding. We study a variety of subjects ranging from maths and physics to 3D design and Programming.

Living on res has been a good way to meet new people and extremely convenient for me as it is right next to the university. One thing I would recommend to people considering staying on res is to get involved in as much of the res activities as you can as that’s how to meet people and have a good time.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study Electrical engineering because I have a strong passion for physics and have always enjoyed finding solutions to all kinds of problems, and engineering is a way to learn all about physics and the nature of the world while still being in a position to apply this knowledge to the world around you. I chose electrical specifically because I see electronics to be a way to solve problems that mechanical solutions cannot, and also it’s a qualification in high demand especially in rural areas.

Highlights of 2019? The highlight of this year for me would probably be right now where I am taking the knowledge I learned in my programming classes and applying it to the real world as a PLC programmer for Northeast Water.

Goals for 2020? For 2020 I Plan to continue my course into year 2 at Geelong where the course steers towards robotics, and we are tasked with building our own robots to compete in nationwide competitions. I also plan to continue my work at northeast water as a PLC programmer to deepen my knowledge of programming and industrial controll.

What do you miss about school? The biggest thing I miss about school is my mates, I think we tend to take our friends for granted in school and you really start to miss them when you don’t get to see them every day!

- 55 -

declan rafferty

political science/international security studies, australia national university

What have you been up to this year? This year I started a double degree of Political Science and International Security Studies at ANU. Political Science heavily focuses on questioning why certain political phenomena in the world occurs and through the use of scientific methods and data, attempts to answer these questions.

While Security Studies looks at Australia’s relations within the Asian region and to management of crises internationally. The two degrees also enabled me to look at a wide array of elective subjects from Chinese Foreign Policy to the History of Middle Eastern politics. There is truly a smorgasbord of opportunities to pick from.

As well great academic opportunities, I have also been very privileged to experience an amazing college at the ANU. Burton and Garran Hall (B&G) made the transition from home to Uni very easy and I have met some amazing young people. It is at times difficult to balance workloads and social life, but B&G provides a brilliant opportunity for both to be successfully managed.

Why did you choose to study this double degree? I chose to study these Degrees as they best reflected my interest/passion both in and out of school. I loved humanity subjects like History and Aus Pol which, surprisingly, has many similar links to the functionality of some courses within the degrees.

I also took a strong interest into the ANU because some of best facilities and academics are there. There have been multiple times where internationally leading researchers have run lectures and other discussion on campus.

Goals for 2020? For next year I plan to continue my studies at ANU and continue to live at college over the course of next year. I also plan to start my minor in contemporary security crises which will specifically look at the importance and management of environmental security in Australian and on a global scale.

What do you miss about school? The main thing I miss about school is the person relationship to are able to develop with your teachers. Although not impossible, it is very difficult to have those kinds of teacher/student connections in class sizes ranging from 80 to 500. Consequently, this makes in depth feedback and suggestions of improvement much harder to come by, depending on the course.

- 56 -

zoe deacon

arts, monash university

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been studying Arts at Monash University in Clayton where I have been living on res. My chosen majors are History and International Relations. While it has been a challenging year adjusting to life away from home, I have learned a lot and am really enjoying University and all the fun that comes with it.

Why did you choose to study this course? I was never really sure what I wanted to study after school but I always enjoyed humanities subjects and knew that this was something I wanted to pursue. I chose to study Arts at Monash because I wanted to continue to learn what I love and what I am interested in. My majors of History and International Relations have been really interesting for me and I am glad that I chose to study these units. My favourite subjects have probably been Human Rights, International Relations, 20th Century History and Politics. I’ve learnt so many new things this year while studying this course and think that it was definitely the right choice for me.

Highlights of 2019? The highlights of my year have included meeting new people at uni and res and joining my new swimming club where I have been able to do some travelling. Res life was a bit of an adjustment for me after living at home surrounded by my family and friends but I grew to really enjoy the community feeling of res at Monash. You get to meet a whole lot of great new people who are all in the same situation as you, living out of home and studying at uni. The events at res along with studying and hanging out with people in my hall have been great.

Highlights of my academic year have been just learning lots of new things and discovering my passion for International Relations which I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I have. In terms of my swimming, I have been travelling quite a lot this year including going to Italy after qualifying to compete at the World Uni Games. Competing in Naples was fantastic and I had the time of my life while we were there. Also travelling all around Australia for my swimming and spending time getting to know my new squad has been so much fun.

Goals for 2020? Next year I’m looking forward to continuing my course and learning all sorts of new and exciting things. I’m still not entirely sure what I want to do with my degree so I’m looking forward to hopefully figuring out what sort of career paths I could look into after my course has finished in years to come. I am also moving into a share house with some swimming friends so I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in that aspect of my life. I’m also looking forward to starting a job and doing some volunteering to get more involved in my community.

What do you miss about school? I miss the structure of school and going to see my friends everyday. I also miss the Catholic College community and all the support that the teachers offer. Living at home and going to school everyday was a luxury that I do miss but at the same time starting this new chapter of my life has been really exciting.

- 57 -

cam smith

criminology/cyber security, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been studying my Bachelor of Criminology and Bachelor of Cyber Security at the Deakin Burwood campus. This degree has been extremely interesting in accessing crime issues in society and how these assessments can be implemented into cybersecurity solutions.

Subjects for both degrees have been fairly basic (a lot easier than year 12) based solely around introductory concepts (basic code and basic criminological theories). I have lived on Deakin Residence for the first and second trimesters and have now moved into shared housing.

Why did you choose to study this course? I have chosen to study this course because of my interest in IT and crime prevention. Initially I intended to undertake a position with the Australian Federal Police, however I am now more interested in working for a cyber-security agency. I am fast tracking my Criminology degree in the hope of having it completed by the end of next year in order to allow time for work opportunities and placements (hopefully working for Deakin’s e-solutions department).

Highlights of 2019? My highlights this year from Uni have been maintaining a good Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and writing assignments on societal issues that I previously did not support, widening my views and opinions and what has (I believe) made me a more understanding and compassionate person.

In my personal life I have started a position with Dan Murphy’s as a customer service assistant as well as two roles at Deakin University including work as a Student Ambassador (who works with student recruitment) and work as a Prospective Student Enquires Officer (working In the marketing division responding to student enquiries).

This year has been a rollercoaster of new opportunities and has provided a myriad of life-changing experience for me. Studying and working for Deakin, living at Deakin Residence, meeting amazing new people and working for Dan Murphy’s have all been challenging but they have made my move to Melbourne so much more enjoyable!

What do you miss about school? I miss the friendships that I formed at Catholic College, with both students and teachers and enjoy returning to Albury/Wodonga to catch up with friends. University is a much more self-driven venture that requires a greater level of independence (which has been rewarding), however the support from Catholic College is something I miss.

- 58 -

sarah seckold

international studies, deakin university

What have you been up to this year? This year I commenced the Bachelor’s degree in International Studies; majoring in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies. I currently attend Deakin University and study at the Waterfront and Waurn Ponds campuses in Geelong. My course is politically driven, hence very up to date with current world issues and extremely relevant.

I have loved my course so far, due to it being so interesting and I have learnt so much in such a short period. My favourite units have to be the ones within my Middle Eastern Studies major, as they are extremely stimulating and I thoroughly enjoy the content. This year I lived on Deakin’s residences at the Geelong Waterfront campus, and I loved it. I lived in an apartment with 6 other people and made amazing friends that I will be moving out within 2020. Res is a great way to make new friends and settle into a new city.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study International Studies, as it is a course that allows you to have an array of career opportunities post-graduation. The main reason I chose the course was due to the enticing requirement of international experience is necessary to complete the course. I also picked International Studies due to it sounding like an interesting course that offers flexibility in what is required to complete it.

Highlights of 2019? The highlights of this year for me have been my newfound love for study, due to university allowing me to focus on learning information I am interested in. I have also thoroughly enjoyed my experiences on res and the new friendships I have formed from living there for the year.

My final highlight is my acceptance into a Deakin lead 10-week internship, due to this being the first year the internship is running and getting to experience life in another country for 10-weeks. My internship is in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia and so far has been amazing and I have learnt so much about the city.

Goals for 2020? Next year in 2020 I plan to commence a French diploma outside of the university to boost my resume and improve my future employability. In trimester 2 I have applied to study abroad in North America at California State Long Beach University.

What do you miss about school? The main things I miss about school is the social aspect; being able to spend so much time with your friends and also the relationship with teachers, as in university you only see your lecturer once a week and they have many students to attend to.

- 59 -

tim watson

arts/science, australia national university

What have you been up to this year? This year I moved to Canberra to study a flexible double degree in Arts and Science at the Australian National University. Specifically, I began planning to do majors in Political Science and Chemistry, and minors in Economics and Biology. After completing my first semester of economics, something I had not studied previously at CCW, and having really enjoyed it, I decided I would take it as my arts major rather than Political Science, which I found to be a little dry. In my second semester I took a history course as an elective which I found to be really eye-opening.

I’ve also enjoyed my science courses, and specifically the practical lab and field work I’ve been able to undertake as apart of them. Having said this, I don’t think the natural sciences are for me anymore and I am planning to transfer into an Economics/Arts double degree beginning next year. It has been a relatively challenging year as I have had to make some major changes: moving away from home to live on campus, not having that regular 9-3 school schedule and questioning what it is I truly want to do with my life.

Why did you choose to study this course? About halfway through 2018 is when I had decided to do Arts/Science at ANU. On one hand I chose science because it was what I had been performing best in and on the other I decided to do Arts because I had recently developed an interest in politics. Despite its cold weather, I chose ANU in Canberra because I thought what better place to study politics than the nation’s capital? I always knew that the courses I chose originally were a bit of an odd mix but as I wanted to start studying at uni straight after Year 12 despite not having a specific career pathway in mind, I wanted to maximise my options.

Plans and goals for 2020? My main goal for 2020 is to become more involved in the ANU community. I joined a few different clubs at the start of 2019 but became less able to participate in them as I struggled to balance my studies with life. My time management has significantly improved since Semester 1 so I think I should be able to achieve this. Secondly, I would like to take better care of my health which is again something I became worse at as my courses got more intense.

What do you miss about school? So much! The biggest challenge for me has been structuring my own schedule around different and irregular classes at University after becoming use to CCW’s 9-3 routine. I miss the accessibility to teachers and space. It is very difficult to find a good place to study that isn’t already taken at uni. And of course, I miss being able to see my friends everyday at school. I have struggled to make my education and social life co-exist at Uni.

- 60 -

gabriel crothers

occupational therapy, charles sturt uni

What have you been up to this year? Last year I got accepted into Charles Sturt university for Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapy is a health occupation that focus of helping individuals to become interdependent and live their lives. The health settings you can work in from occupational therapy is very broad, so there are many job opportunities. Through my first year of uni I have gone through such classes a occupational therapy based classes, Anatomy, physiology and health and rehabilitation.

Why did you choose to study this course? I chose to study Occupational Therapy as i wanted to choose a health career path which has multiple job and outcomes at the end of the course. So Occupational Therapy was appealing to me.

Highlights of 2019? The new friends that you meet in your classes as well as your university is one of the best parts of my year. As well as the small experiences you have within everyone everyday.

Goals for 2020? For 2020 I am going to continue my course at CSU while also working part time to gain an income. I would like to have some more experiences outside of my university life like going to the snow and holidays. A goal within university is I would like to continue to pass and improve my uni work.

What do you miss about school? Being out of school for a year you realise how many things you take for granted. Such things as your friends you see close to everyday, the teachers that are always there for you, the experiences you gain and the knowledge you gain are same of the many things I miss about school.

- 61 -

josh hood

technology traineeship, catholic college wodonga

What have you been up to this year? This year has definitely been a crazy one, that’s for sure! Working alongside legendary Catholic College staff members such as Tony Fraser and Paul Forde has ensured there has never been a dull moment this year. I’ve been undertaking a Cert III in Education support whilst working as a trainee in the Technology domain at CCW. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time this year working as a trainee, especially some of the reactions you get from interacting with students teaching them new skills.

Why did you choose to do a traineeship? I choose to undertake the traineeship as a gap year because I saw the opportunity too good to pass up. Being given the chance to work somewhere where I’ve already learnt and grown so much seemed like a golden opportunity, and an experience that would be well worth taking. But also, to network and learn off some awesome teachers and staff.

Describe a typical day at work: A typical day for me, can consist of preparing, stocking and maintaining resources such as timber stock, tools and helping to make sure the workshops stay running smoothly. I tend to mainly assist with year 7 and 9 design technology classes, helping students to complete projects and guiding them in the right techniques and uses of hand/power tools. My role can also vary to accompanying outdoor ed classes on bike riding and day hike trips from time to time.

Highlights of 2019? Highlights from this year have included learning what really goes on behind the scenes at CCW, developing some really awesome professional connections and relationships with staff members and picking up skills working in this environment that I’ll carry forward for a long time to come.

Plans for 2020? As much as leaving CCW, for a second time, will be a little sad. I’m extremely excited for what the future holds. In particular starting study with Wodonga Tafe doing a Cert III in Motorsport Technology. My goal is to hopefully use the course to get into the motorsport industry as a race mechanic.

- 62 -

paige mckenzie

business administration traineeship, bendigo bank

What have you been up to this year? This year I am doing a traineeship at Bendigo Bank. I’ve really enjoyed learning new things and being in the finance industry. I’m also completing my certificate 3 in business as well. It’s great being in a work environment and being able to study as well. It is a challenging job but very rewarding in the growth and bonds that are formed with co-workers and customers.

I deal with different types of customers everyday with questions and queries with their banking. Working full time is very different then finishing at 3 everyday which took some time to adjust to but is just routine after a while. I’ve enjoyed my first year out of school and even though I miss some aspects it’s been great to get a good start into the workforce and focus on the future.

Why did you choose to pursue a gap year traineeship? Like many people I was unsure of what I wanted to do when school finished. Going through my options a traineeship stood out to me as I wasn’t sure on a course to complete at university but knew I was interested in business. This traineeship has given me the chance to be involved in a work environment as well as studying for a certificate and gaining training and knowledge along the way. It’s something I really suggest doing if you’re unsure what you want to do after school.

Describe a typical day at work? My typical workday consists of getting to work about 8:30 and completing the morning tasks and throughout the day it can be a combination of cash handling, paperwork, answering calls, making appointments and dealing with all different types of customers. Then head off at about 5:15 (or whenever we balance). I also have time blocked out during the week to complete training for my certificate as well as work modules. It’s a great environment to work in and lots of support is given. Every day is always different, and I’m always faced with new challenges and learning different things within the bank.

Highlights of 2019? My traineeship has offered me many opportunities such as travelling to Melbourne and Bendigo to complete a workshop, to working within different branches to gaining experience in different workspaces. I’ve participated in grants nights and social events outside of work that are beneficial to gain a better understanding of the bank. Overall completing the traineeship and my qualification will be my highlight as I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The people I have met along the way have also influenced me enjoying my time here and being so supportive and helpful.

Goals for 2020? My plans and goals would be to ideally pursue a career in finance or continue studying business. I would love to stay at the bank and continue learning and growing in the organisation.

What do you miss about school? I miss the social aspect of school such as seeing my friends every day. Doing different things makes it harder to keep in touch which is something I took for granted while in school.

- 63 -

amelia cyc

science traineeship, catholic college wodonga

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been doing the science traineeship at Catholic College Wodonga. While day to day duties varied, a typical day at work involved me working alongside the schools Lab Technician Leanne, preparing and packing up classroom pracs as well as helping out in science classes supporting students in their work and to undertake experiments, I am also a general hand wherever I am needed.

Working at Catholic College was an interesting transition from student to staff but I have loved being able to build good and supportive relationships with staff members that I have worked closely with throughout the year. As a part of my traineeship, I got to study Cert III in Education Support (Teacher’s Aid). This course at times was challenging, but working with students and teachers was an experience that no other job could give me.

Why did you choose to do a traineeship? I chose to pursue a gap year traineeship because I feel that I was not ready to go to university yet. Being given this opportunity to has allowed me to explore my passion for learning and helping others learn as well as exploring the fields of science that I did not get the opportunity to study in school. I knew that being in this role would give me a whole new set of life skills. I have learnt how to be a better leader, how to handle different situations quickly, as well as growing heaps as a person in confidence as well.

Highlights of 2019? I have made so many memories and have had many highlights from my year at Catholic College. A huge highlight would simply be working with the students day to day and seeing how they grow and change over the course of the year. While some classroom situations have been a struggle, each situation gives me a chance to learn new skills.

Another highlight is that I got to travel to Condobolin twice as a staff member. As a student, I never took up the opportunity to travel to Condobolin and being given a second chance to go was amazing. I got to experience life at St. Joseph’s Primary School and seeing how the primary school kids interacted and played with the year 11 students was a big highlight. I am so glad I was lucky enough to experience this traineeship.

Plans for 2020? In 2020 I am going to Wagga to study Medical Imaging at Charles Sturt Uni. I am looking forward to learning what uni life is like and meeting heaps of new people that have the same interests as me.

- 64 -

CHARLIE BRANDMeIER

plumbing apprenticeship, branco boilers & engineering

What have you been up to this year? This year I’ve been working full time as a 1st year apprentice plumber at Branco Boilers & Engineering. We focus in heating and cooling of domestic and commercial buildings. This year has been awesome actually, I find the stuff I work with pretty interesting and I’ve learnt a whole lot of skills over the duration of the year. I’ve been studying a Certificate III in Plumbing over the year in which covers most of the general plumbing side of things which gives me a good spread of learning within hydronic plumbing at work and general plumbing at Tafe. My class is full of boys from school which is sick also.

Why did you choose to pursue an apprenticeship? Coming from the end of school I wasn’t actually going to pursue in a apprenticeship as I really wanted to go work and travel within the snow fields somewhere but as time came round, I decided to begin an apprenticeship to start and gain something to have under my belt. It was also a bonus that I get to work for my family company which makes work a hell of a lot easier.

Describe a typical day at work? A typical day consists of maybe servicing boilers, installing floor heating, installing boilers or heatpumps and a whole lot of travel across the states.

Highlights of 2019? Highlights of this year is definitely starting to get things in line for the rest of my life I guess. As soon as you leave school you’re left with pretty important decisions in which will impact you for the rest of your life I guess so getting through them was a massive highlight.

At the time of me answering these questions I will be in Revelstoke Canada right now in which I’m here for 3 months just travelling and working. This has been a trip I’ve been keen for a couple years now so actually out here now and doing it is sooo sick.

Goals for 2020? Plans for 2020 are to complete the second year of my apprenticeship, have heaps of fun, try save some more money and look into investing into property if the opportunity arises I guess.

What do you miss about school? Things I miss about school is definitely the social side, all of my mates all in the one spot every single day was an absolute treat, especially when now some of my group are all spread around Australia, The teachers at school are also something I miss, I feel like our year had pretty good relationships with our teachers so not seeing them every day is a bummer. Just school in general too, chilling out at lunch, basketball, downball and banter miss it all.

- 65 -

kiara fraser

business administration traineeship, steeline

Why did you choose to do a traineeship? I wanted more, but I wasn’t ready for uni and living away from home. So I thought why not go back to school and learn but in the workplace and get paid. It was a great choice for me since I’ve learned so much about the business and I hope to learn a lot more.

Describe a typical day at work: My typical work day starts at 8am. I get to work, check in with my boss Andy and coworkers and open up the stores. Usually I check to see what orders came in last night and action them or send them to the correct department. Usually I’d go to filing and scanning old orders into the system and by 10 I’m serving customers and doing orders till 4:30. Obviously depends on what’s on going in the office it might change.

Like this week our head transport manager was away so I had to do paperwork and manifests for the trucks to our other branches and delegate my jobs off to my coworkers. While other days people are away and I have to organise new meetings and do credit claims or I’m helping my sales reps on the phone and meeting our account customers. On a normal day I’m doing admin work and learning a lot about sales in the showroom.

Highlights of 2019? I think a major highlight was I brought myself a new car. I upgraded my little Peanut to my new car Zinger and I’m honestly really proud of myself for that. And one for my traineeship is that I’ve made it this far and I know how to build a shed. Not many people can say that.

Plans for 2020? I haven’t got any goals. But I think I’ll aim to travel to at least two new places next year and hopefully save up lots of money.

What do you miss about school? I miss a fair bit about school. The routine was a huge thing for me and a lot of others. Like every morning I used to get up and go to school and see all my friends but now I get up go to work and go to bed and I seem to just forget that I’ve gotta organise things with friends now. I think another thing is I miss my little drama family I had for the past 7 years however I know we are all off achieving so much so that’s great!

- 66 -

zac marron

combat engineer, australian army

What have you been up to this year? This year has well and truly hit the ground running for me and my career choice in the Australian Army. On the 16th of April 2019 I enlisted into the Army as a Combat Engineer. Kapooka was like being in hell, everything was so strict and regimental and you couldn’t look sideways without being pulled into line. Kapooka was a real eye-opener to me and saw a whole new word to the meaning of life. After 3 vigorous months of labour, intensive training and exhaustion I saw myself come out as a ‘Sapper’ I then was posted to Sydney where I commenced my I.E.T’s (Initial Employment Training). As a Combat Engineer in the Defence Force. I specialise in the ability to locate IED’s Rig Explosives up to help hinder our foes movements or aid us into moving forward.So far this year I’ve achieved so much more than I could have ever imagined and not once have I looked back and thought that this wasn’t for me. I’m due to finish my training by the start of July 2020.

Why did you choose to pursue a career in the ADF? As long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to join the Army and do my part for the country no matter what it was; as I grew older I started looking at different avenues in the Army and what would suit a hands on role for myself. Year 11 I was constantly tossing and turning between going from Infantry to Marine Specialists. Yet just by chance I came across a media report on the life of a SAPPER and their contributions to not only the World but to Australia. I knew that was my calling because I’ve always wanted to help my own Country with natural disaster relief and be deployed to other countries to do the same. Not to mention both my parents are in the Army themselves which was another key factor for me choosing this life as I have always been an ‘Army Brat.’

Describe a typical day at work: I wake up at 0500h every morning and jump into gym clothes and head off to gym and go for about an hour and after my workout I go back to my lines (live in accomodation) and smash a feed down then get showered and changed for a 0630h start. From their my troop and I march down to our compound where we’re to be instructed to go out into the field and or go sit in the classroom to receive a lesson. That’s been my life for the whole year but we always learn in the classroom how to operate our state of the art Mine Detectors or search equipment and what have you before we go out into the field where we practise what we have been taught not only to be qualified on the piece but to be competent on it and have hours behind it and know every inch of it. We have lunch from 1230h-1330h at the mess and return to our compound and continue on what we are doing then our day knocks off at around 1600h give or take where time is our own and I normally get straight back into gym clothes and do a 2 hour gym session and I go home or go fishing after.

What have been the highlights from your year so far? My greatest highlight this year was when I finally finished my 3 months of hell at Kapooka and having not only my fiancé there to celebrate it with me but my loving sister from Brisbane and having My Mum and Dad fly all the way from Malaysia where they currently work, be there to witness me march out and grow not only as a new Member of the Australian Soldier but as a person in general. When I saw them I just burst into tears due to how happy I made them and I will never be able to forget that they all helped me to where I am today and without them I would have know idea where I’d be.

What are your plans and goals for 2020? My plans for 2020 aren’t anything special but I want to do well with myself and try and get to see more of Australia as My life after Sydney will be residing In Darwin for 3-4 years.

- 67 -

theo smith

employment

What have you been up to this year? For the majority of this year I’ve been working, I do part-time work at Woolworths in 3 or 4 areas around the store and this has given me some skills in the workplace, money and further inspiration to go to uni and get back into studying, something I’d never consider missing.

I’ve also worked periodically at a woodfire pizza truck which has taken me to some pretty cool events like Falls Festival in Lorne over new years and the winery walkabout in Rutherglen. I’ve also realized there’s such thing as too much free time this year which has really pushed me to pursue more work and look forward to the future.

Highlights of 2019? Working at Falls Festival was definitely a highlight of my year, other than that just seeing what the world has to offer rather than year 12!

Plans for 2020? My plans for 2020 are to study Marketing and Public Relations at CSU and hopefully find a new job, just to get some more work experience. I’d also love to travel next year and see what the world has to offer.

What do you miss about school? Really miss the social aspect of school, having friends there all the time. Also kind of really miss studying and learning!

- 68 -

will rattray

employment

What have you been up to this year? This year I have been undergoing a gap year that has been about figuring out what I would like to do with myself in 2020 and beyond. I have been living with Nan and Pop out the back in their granny flat (would recommend). I have been working full time at Parkside Produce for the entirety of the year which has been great for both a routine, life skills, and a steady income in order to save for my future.

At the start of the year my parents and siblings decided to pack up and move to Torquay, due to a change in lifestyle for the better, I have been to visit multiple times and enjoyed each time I have visited. I have finished multiple TV shows, as well as watched many sporting matches.

Throughout the majority of the year I had told people that I wanted to become a pilot, however upon going up for a second test flight, I did not see myself doing it as a profession in the future. Thus, I have looked to find something I am passionate about and I have landed on Sports Science, and will look to study this at RMIT in 2020.

Highlights of 2019? Working and maintaining a steady routine has really been a highlight of my year. Working in retail with a great bunch of people has really helped me stay engaged with the community and kept me from being bored. Another highlight from this year was being able to take trips down to my new second home of Torquay and spend time with my family in an amazing town.

Plans for 2020? In 2020 I plan to move down to Melbourne to begin my Uni life. I plan to get a job whilst attending Uni so that I can support myself whilst living in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. I plan to visit my family as much as I can within reason. I also plan to travel abroad to see my family in England towards the end of the year.

My goals for next year consist mainly of getting through my first year of Sports Science and making new connections in the new place in which I am living. I plan to maintain a healthy relationship with all of my current friends and Girlfriend and maintain any new connections that I may make.

What do you miss about school? As much as I hate to say it, I actually do miss having homework to do. I also miss the fact that you see your friends pretty much daily and now I have to make arrangements to see them.

- 69 -

mackenzie bain

business administration traineeship, westmont

Why did you choose to do a traineeship? Originally I didn’t want to have a gap year and wanted to go straight to uni. After tossing up between different career paths, I thought having a gap year would give me some clarity. I chose the traineeship at Westmont because I have always loved elderly people and I wanted to gain some financial independence.

This year I have been working as a trainee at Westmont, completing a certificate III in Business Administration. I have genuinely loved doing this traineeship, as you work closely with other health professionals in an Aged Care environment. Working full-time is completely different from school, it’s a full on year but it’s also good because you can switch off when you get home unlike school when you are constantly thinking about upcoming SACS and exams and all that fun stuff.

Describe a typical day at work: Day to day I greet and provide assistance to residents and their family members, answer the phones, maintain up to date client documentation and overall I am a bubbly, young face for the residents. A big part of my job is completing admissions for both permanent and respite residents. You admit residents to the Homestead, by providing administrative assistance to registered nurses.

You are required to work one weekend a month, where you are the first point of call if any pendant or nurse call buttons are pushed. When attending an alert, you liaise with the nurse in charge and work out the best steps to take, this may be that a resident has fallen over or burnt themselves etc. Of a weekend you must also complete the Apartment rounds. This requires you to do a welfare check on 40 residents, which always turns into cups of tea and long stories.

Highlights of 2019? Honestly the highlight of this year has been the seeing the residents. Hearing all the wise words of wisdom and the stories melts my heart. As you are a constant in their everyday life you build a rapport and have banter with the residents that brings just as much joy to your life as theirs. There is never a dull moment and you always have a story to tell about your day at work.

I have also enjoyed this thing called ‘annual leave’ where you get paid to have a holiday (I know right, crazy). I have taken some time off to go on a few road trips with friends and enjoyed some fun times.

Plans for 2020? Next year I am making the move to Newcastle, where I will study a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Radiation Therapy). This is a 4 year course that will offer many opportunities for clinical placement. I am very sad to leave all the residents at Westmont, but I am also looking forward to meeting new people, living near the beach and pursuing a career in a field that I am passionate about!

What do you miss about school? I personally enjoyed school and studying (weird, I know), but the thing I miss the most is seeing my friends everyday. Even though some of my friends stayed local this year, it just isn’t the same as seeing them everyday. Everyone is on different schedules and we are all busy people.

I will say that I miss finishing at 3:15pm. This year through my traineeship, I finished at 5pm which isn’t that late but it was something I had to get used to quickly. I also miss having school holidays because they don’t exist in the real world!

- 70 -

aengus williams

employment/travel

What have you been up to this year? 2019 saw me hop across the pond and move to London. I’ve been up to a whole bunch of shananigans (some a bit explicit to tell ;)) but most of all just enjoying independent living in a different part of the world. I found work in a bar in the prolific Soho district of central London, pouring drinks and mixing cocktails for some of the cultural elites of English society (rude posh people). It’s been an experience to say the least.

While In London I made numerous trips across the canal to main land Europe. I would like too say I gained an acute insight into the vast array of European cultures, but most of the time My cultural experience extended to a couple too many pints and terse arguments with the locals about why soccer is a horrible sport. All in all a fabulous year full of fabulous memories.

Highlights of 2019? Here’s a short, PG rated list of the highlights of my year. Octoberfest in Munich is by far the best moment of the year. Four days of giant beers, great company and lasting memories. Next would be my work crew at the soho theatre bar. Everyone welcomed me with open arms, teaching me all they knew (this was big for me seeing I lied on my resume about the extent of my bar experience; that being none). Around them I was able to be myself and be completely comfortable in an environment I would spend a lot of hours in.

But by far the highlight of the year is the civil partnership I shared with young Nicholas Robinson. From sitting out on a balcony in Switzerland playing guitar as a crowd gathered on the foot path below to bar crawls along the beaches of Ravenna, Italy every moment together evolved into a memorable and lasting event.

Plans for 2020? My plans for 2020 have changed dramatically over the course of the year. The year began deferring Global studies and political science at Monash and then changing to international security and political science at ANU, before a back field existential crisis sent me into a whole another field. For some time politics had been in my vision of tertiary studies, but as 2019 unfolded I realised my passion truely lied in the health sector. It was always something I had a interest in, optimising nutritional intake to increase my performance not only training wise but in life as well.

The environment I trained in while in London only saw this interest expand and saw most of my free time enveloped by my frequent eating schedule or researching further information to utilise in my training and nutrition planning. I think this is the right decision for my future and one where I feel my passion can truly benefit the wellbeing’s of those in need. 2020 will see me study exercise and sports science leading to post grad studies in clinical excersise rehabilitation and then maybe even onto doctorate studies.

What do you miss about school? Year 12 I saw myself fully dedicated to my studies which in the end burnt me out hard. So it was a rough year, but it was my friends and the community around me that got me through it. So naturally it’s that support network and friends that I find myself missing terribly. I think this is exacerbated by being in London but those still close to their friends would feel the same to a certain degree. It’s seeing those important people each and everyday, that made going through year 12 not only tolerable but a situation I found I could thrive and tackle to the best of my ability. It’s these people I will always hold dear and look foreword to being reunited when I come back home.

- 71 -

Marnie shannon

educator, Bandiana Primary School Out of School hours care

Currently I am working as an Educator at Bandiana Primary School Out of School Hours Care (OSHC). I have been working there since June this year. I am also currently doing some work experience at Belvoir Special School as a Learning Support Teacher.

Some of the highlights of my year have been getting my first job, my drivers licence and becoming a Racquetball Coach for the Juniors at Wodonga Squash and Racquetball Club and also coming third in my grade for the Australian Open Racquetball Championships held in Albury Wodonga.

In 2020, I will work full time work as a learning support teacher.

- 72 -

pippa salmon

mittagundi Outdoor Education Centre

What have you been up to this year? I’ve spent the past year volunteering and living full-time at Mittagundi, a not-for-profit outdoor education centre located in the Glen Valley, aka the middle of nowhere. The year has been a very big one for me – living in isolation from the rest of the world, with no reception, electricity or modern technology, and very limited ‘time off’ (one day a fortnight) - it definitely hasn’t been easy.

Despite this, it has still been one of the best years of my life, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience such a unique and special lifestyle. Mittagundi runs ten-day programs for young people aged 14-17, and I’ve had an absolute blast leading them on trips hiking about the Victorian High Country, rafting on the Mitta Mitta River and cross country skiing through a glorious winter wonderland.

I’ve learned so much, both in physical skills (give me a call if you ever need something chainsawed ;)) but also in the way that I interact with others. Working and living alongside a small team of people can be very difficult at times, however it has also resulted in friendships I know I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Highlights of 2019? Living in a log cabin in the bush. Bulk cooking sessions making meals for sixty plus people on a wood fired stove. Poker nights. Hiking with young people. Opening 20kg bags of oats. Lighting the stoves in the early morning when no one else is awake and the place like something out of a storybook. Raising piglets to then eat them and experiencing the full cycle of life.

The terrible jokes in the Omeo newssheet. Wheel barrowing dinners across muddy four-wheel drive tracks. Endless laughter and teasing. Sing-a-longs by the piano. Sleeping in tents in blizzards. Receiving letters in the mail. Glorious days spent rafting. Home job haircuts. Scoffing mint slices and marshmallows in the pantry when the young people aren’t looking.

There have been so many highlights this year, I have barely even scraped the surface. Yet by far the biggest one has been the people I work with. Being the baby of the group (the next youngest staff member is 27) hasn’t affected the connections I’ve formed with my team, they truly feel like family to me now.

Spending nearly all of our waking hours together, you’d think by now we’d be sick of each other, but in fact it is quite the opposite – the thought of not seeing them all next year makes me very sad, and is proof of just how much I love them all.

Plans for 2020? I’m heading to the Big Smoke (Melbs) to study a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne Uni. Being for the most part without any internet access, I’m yet to decide what subjects I’m going to major and minor in, but I hope to go on to do a Masters of Education, and eventually become an English and Humanities teacher, so subjects related to those topics.

What do you miss about school? I really miss the people, and all the fun we had together. Being able to see so many amazing people every day was the best, and to always feel so loved and supported, even through the tough bits, was so incredible. I also miss the learning resources, and, believe it or not, I kinda even miss studying :)