Life at St Catherine’s: Tahlia Guzzardi
Class of 2023

What have been the highlights of your time at St Catherine’s?  

I have particularly enjoyed the every day opportunities to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities and forge friendships with a variety of people across the School.   

What co-curricular activities or clubs were you involved in? What did you learn from these?  

I was involved in the Art Club, Chess Club, Writers’ Club and Latin Club, and relished the opportunity to contribute to the Stentorian student newspaper upon its creation in 2022.   

As one of the Editors of the Stentorian in 2023, I improved my leadership skills by mentoring younger students, contributing to the general production of the bi-monthly editions, and organising regular meetings to give other students a platform to share their ideas and strengthen friendships across Year levels.   

I enjoyed my role in assisting these girls to express their written or visual creativity and passion in the newspaper for other students to view. I have also completed all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in my time at St Catherine’s, which introduced me to the value of charity work and volunteering to help others in the community, as well as encouraging me to challenge myself physically.   

What were your favourite subjects?  

I absolutely loved learning languages at School and externally, and also grew to be very passionate about Science, particularly Psychology, Biology and Chemistry.   

Can you describe a significant academic achievement or project you’re proud of?  

I am immensely proud of my linguistic development over my time at St Catherine’s, including completing Year 12 level Italian in Year 11 and confidently speaking French after commencing my French studies in Year 9.   

How do you handle challenges or setbacks in your academic pursuits?  

When facing challenges, I consider what the obstacle is and what it is that I want to achieve, before making a list or schedule of the steps I need to take to overcome a particular challenge and work towards my goal.    

What do you plan to study post School?  

I would like to study either a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with a Diploma in Linguistics or Medicine.   

Where do you hope to study? 

I hope to study at Monash University.   

How do you believe St Catherine’s and your teachers have helped you reach your goals?  

Whilst attending St Catherine’s, I have always been supported with my endeavours by teachers who were eager to push me to reach my full potential. My teachers have always been happy to meet me outside of class time to clarify academic concerns that I had or to answer my questions about extension concepts and my specific academic interests.   

What are your short-term and long-term career goals after graduating from school?  

After finishing school, I would like to obtain a job to sustain myself financially during my tertiary studies. Later on, I would like to use my education to help people via a career in a medical or scientific field, maybe even using my linguistic knowledge to do so on a global scale by working with international charity organisations such as Doctors Without Borders.   

What skills or knowledge have you gained during your education that you believe will be valuable in your future career?  

Through the rigorous academic workload of St Cath’s, I have reinforced my ability to persevere through difficulties and take things one step at a time. I believe this methodical approach to my activities that I have developed will assist me not only in my future career, but also in my general management of my future endeavours.   

How do you envision using your education to make a positive impact on your community or society at large?  

I would like to use my education to help provide similar educational opportunities to others in society, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to help them reach their full academic, professional, and personal potential. I hope to continue to volunteer for a variety of charity organisations to have a tangible positive impact on the lives of others.   

In 2023, the Year 12 theme was ‘Conquer.’ What does this mean to you?  

I think the word ‘Conquer’ symbolises the strength that we all have within us to lead each other and persevere through difficulty until we reach our goals. Just as great historical leaders have done in vanquishing their enemies or exploring foreign lands to respectively improve the world or simply learn something new.   

What advice would you provide to future Year 12 students?  

To future Year 12 students, I would say always just do your best in the circumstances that you have. Consistency is key, and doing something, however small, each day, is better than nothing. Over time, your efforts will pay off, so don’t give up on your dreams. Support your friends and your family and let them support you too. Remember that a singular success or failure does not define you, it is how you approach your endeavours and the values you uphold that really count. Enjoy the year and believe in yourself – there is always some sort of yellow brick road that will lead you to where you want to go, as long as you are prepared to look for it!