Class of 2022: Lara Thorn
Lara Thorn
Human Rights Captain
What have been the highlights of your time at St Catherine’s?
It would have to be the people. The connections you establish at St Catherine’s are undoubtedly strong enough to last you a lifetime. I believe the most rewarding aspect of walking away from Year 12 at St Catherine’s are the memories that you will always be able to reflect upon with an unconditional fondness.
What co-curricular activities were you involved in?
Over the course of Year 12 I was involved in DAV Debating and Public Speaking, Human Rights Club and also inaugurating St Catherine’s first student-led newspaper, The Stentorian. I believe having extra-curricular outlets during such an integral year in my schooling, enabled me to develop a deeper appreciation of the journey I have had at St Catherine’s, which truly compelled me to make the most of every opportunity in this final year.
What were your favourite subjects?
Although the majority of my subjects were heavily STEM-related, my favourite subject would have to be Chinese. I would highly recommend future Year 12 students take up a Language, as LOTE subjects enrich your VCE journey, particularly when you have a fascination for both the language and the culture itself. On top of that, Specialist Mathematics was an incredibly interesting subject for me, as it enables maths-loving students to contemplate difficult problems in ways that are challenging, yet also inherently rewarding.
What do you plan to study post school?
I plan to study a Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne University, and perhaps complete a post-graduate degree upon completion of an undergraduate degree.
What do you see yourself doing in five years’ time?
If I am not still a student, I’d like to start work in medical research.
How do you believe St Catherine’s and your teachers have helped you reach your goals?
Prior to completing Year 12, I think it’s difficult to truly comprehend how much effort your teachers put in to making their students’ VCE journey as successful as it possibly can be. Now, at the conclusion of my final year there are honestly not enough words to describe the immense gratitude I have for every teacher I had. They all consistently conferred an endless network of support and wisdom in their fields of expertise.
In 2022, the Year 12 theme was Emerge. What does this mean to you?
To emerge means to find the capacity within yourself to overcome whatever difficulties, or internalised fears are holding you back from seeing your true potential as not only a student, but an individual. In my opinion, this word perfectly encapsulates how the Class of 2022 collectively rose to the challenge of leading and easing the St Catherine’s community back into school life beyond the adversities of the past two COVID-interrupted years.
What advice would you provide to future Year 12 students?
For future VCE students, I would urge you to choose subjects that you wholeheartedly enjoy. You would be doing yourself a complete disservice in selecting subjects on the basis of them being a prerequisite for a course, or having advantageous scaling, as you’re much less likely to put in the work for subjects which you invariably lack passion in. From a personal perspective, I took great interest in each of my selected subjects, which was a major catalyst for sustaining my motivation and optimism in them.
