This week has been a time of new beginnings. We celebrated two key milestones in the lives of St Catherine’s girls as they embark on a new phase of their educational journey. We were delighted to farewell the Class of 2018 at the Senior School Assembly on Monday but also to share their excitement as they commence their tertiary studies. It was fitting that on the very same day, we officially welcomed the 2019 Year 7 cohort at the Year 7 Induction Service at Toorak Uniting Church.

Demi Markakis, runner-up to the Dux, encouraged the girls to “believe in yourself”.

A feature of the annual Leavers’ Assembly is the panel interview where the Senior School Captains interview six Leavers. This year, our School Captains Kavina Kalaichelvam and Georgina Cottrill interviewed XaSha Chua-Huggins, Juliet Grant, Isabelle Gough, Demi Markakis, Sarah Steven and Yi Lian (Rachel) Tan. Along with the other Year 12 Leavers, these girls have navigated and enjoyed the challenges and rewards of Year 12. As they embark on this next exciting stage of their lives, their reflections and advice are particularly relevant to the current Year 12 students but resonate with all of the girls. The panel members reflected on their St Catherine’s education and their plans beyond St Catherine’s; each with a different path laid out for the year ahead. A common message across the panel was their encouragement to the girls to strive to pursue their goals and to make the most of every opportunity at school.

Panel member Demi Markakis, the Proxime Accessit to the Dux, is soon to embark upon her study of Medicine at Monash University, which has been her goal since Year 5. She noted that her love of Mathematics also led her to consider Actuarial Studies. Demi urged the girls to “work hard, stick to it, do what you need to do and believe in yourself”. As she was heavily involved in Performing Arts and the Debating Program at St Catherine’s, she was well placed to share strategies to juggle the academic workload with other interests and activities. She noted that being busy enhanced her organisational skills, as it was essential to establish effective routines.

XaSha Chua-Huggins encouraged the girls to “get out of their comfort zone and try new things”.

XaSha Chua-Huggins will commence her studies at the Victorian College of the Arts this year. She spoke of having to make a choice between two courses before settling on a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design and Production). She was relieved to find that tertiary courses can provide a range of subjects that can cater for all of her interests, with her chosen course incorporating both her love of Visual Arts and Performing Arts. XaSha advised other girls who are passionate about the Arts to “just do it”, encouraging them to “get out of their comfort zone and try new things”. She told the girls that St Catherine’s provides the best environment to explore and try something different.

Sarah Steven had some tips to offer for Language students.

Having studied a wide range of subjects in Year 12, Juliet Grant was faced with choosing between two courses during Change of Preference, finally settling on a Bachelor of Design at the University of Melbourne. Her decision to choose Design was based on her philosophy that the “main thing is do something you love and whatever that is, you do your best.” She also advised the Year 12 girls to take any set-backs in their stride, urging them not to dwell on a mark that they were unhappy with but to learn from it and move on. When asked about how she managed to juggle the role of Sport Captain, being on the Student Executive and participating fully in the Sport program, Juliet said she learned not to waste time. She recommended that the girls “cut out the unimportant things, like sitting on your bed on the phone”.

Sarah Steven has pursued her goal to study Nursing/Midwifery at Monash University. She is keen to pursue a career where she works with people. As well as being a House Captain, Sarah was also a student who was involved in a wide range of school activities, including completing the rigorous demands of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in Year 12. Sarah discussed what she felt she gained personally from being involved in Community Service. She valued the opportunity to learn and contribute, as well as meeting new people through regularly volunteering at the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. Having completed French in Year 12, Sarah was well placed to provide tips for Language students. She urged them not to be embarrassed to practise speaking another language, remarking that going on exchange in Year 11 forced her to speak French and her skills improved quickly. She also recommended listening to French songs.

Yi Lian (Rachel) Tan arrived at St Catherine’s in Year 10 and was a great contributor to the School in those few years. She also completed her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in Year 12 and remarked that it helped her to prioritise in order to keep up with her academic program as well as meeting the Award components. Community Service was also a highlight of the program for Rachel and her impressive involvement and contributions led to her being given an early offer to her university course. Rachel is looking forward to working with people in her career and is embarking on a Bachelor of Applied Science with a Masters in Physiotherapy at Latrobe University.

St Catherine’s students at the 2018 Leavers’ Assembly.

The 2018 Caltex All-Rounder Award recipient, Isabelle Gough, shared her advice to choose a range of activities and clubs at school that assist you in maintaining “a good work life balance” as well as to suit your interests and talents. She reflected that “having a set structure helped” her manage the workload and that scheduling a number of co-curricular activities assisted with this. Isabelle is looking forward to pursuing the opportunities that will be available to her as a member of a residential college, having chosen to stay in Victoria to study Commerce at the University of Melbourne after considering an interstate offer as well. She noted that doing a university enhancement subject in Year 12 provided her with insight into a tertiary Accounting subject and some experience of university life.

A true affirmation of the value of shared experience and wisdom were the comments several Year 7 girls made after listening to advice and encouragement from girls they had never met, but with whom they already had ties. Many were able to quote these same key messages, which will no doubt resound through their own path to Year 12 and beyond.

Ms Merran O'Connor, Director of Student Wellbeing