SACE top students, top efforts and top results – and all the Governor’s commendations
The state’s top SACE student was too busy working at KFC to check his results. Read about some outstanding young achievers – and all the Governor’s commendations.
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While Lucas Scroop, 18, of Belair was busy working at KFC on Monday morning, his parents were fielding phone calls, from the school, the SACE Board and The Advertiser.
He was suddenly in demand because he topped the class of 2021.
All he knew that morning was that he had to work until midday and then rush into town to meet other SA commendation students at Australian Space Discovery Centre on Lot Fourteen by 12.45pm. He hadn’t even had a chance to log into the SACE website to check his results.
The St John’s Grammar School student was the only student in the state to achieve a perfect score – he received an A+ with merit in six subjects, four this year and two last year, as well for his research project.
That’s specialist mathematics, chemistry, English literary studies, physics and the research project this year. Plus Japanese (continuers), and mathematical methods last year.
“My parents worked very hard to send me to a good school,” he said, so he worked hard in return.
He had already received an offer to study at the University of Adelaide, through the Year 11 entry pathway, but hadn’t accepted the offer yet, in case he changed his mind.
But he still intends to study mechanical engineering, with a major in climate solutions, combined with a diploma in Japanese. A “very good teacher in high school” inspired his interest in the language but also the “naturally beautiful country with a very different culture”.
His research project covered the opioid epidemic in the US. He chose to investigate who was responsible, looking at the role of government through policy, the pharmaceutical industry, and doctors who overprescribed the drugs.
When it comes to his future career path, his biggest worry is getting bored. So he wants to make sure he finds a meaningful role that will help him persist, even if boredom sets in.
“I just feel like, if I get bored of a job, which I probably will, at least if it’s … going to help, to provide water to people in impoverished areas or something, then you can justify sitting at the computer screen all day,” he said.
DOUBLE COMMENDATION
Salisbury High School graduate Chloe Henderson is determined to make a difference in the world.
The 18-year-old, who will become the first member of her family to go to university, was awarded two commendations on Monday from the Governor of South Australia for her year 12 activities and SACE results.
“I’m hoping to go to Flinders University to study criminology and law and society,” she said.
“I want to help younger Aboriginal children to make that shift between right and wrong and get out of that trap of following the earlier generations of their family.”
Her own family links are to the Wiradjuri people of NSW, although she has lived in SA all her life. At school she researched Indigenous culture and immersed herself in Aboriginal events.
She was awarded a general Governor’s commendation for her academic results and community engagement and separately the special award presented annually to an Aboriginal student.
She is a keen netballer through the SA Aboriginal Secondary Training Academy.
“There are about 18 of us who were selected after trials to get into the netball academy,” she said.
She works at Coles 15 to 20 hours a week, a job that will transfer south when she moves to Flinders next year.
DIFFERENT PATHWAYS
Gabrielle Lipinski, 17 of Victor Harbor contemplated dropping out of school at the start of Year 10. She was really struggling, getting Ds and Es, but she didn’t know why.
Then her mother “forced” her to see a psychologist, who diagnosed learning difficulty based on low working (short-term) memory and slow processing speed.
She left Victor Harbor High School, which she said was a “good school”, but she said there was “not enough teachers and not enough support” in the public education system.
Everything changed for her at Encounter College and the flexibility of SACE allowed her to include Vocational Education and Training.
She completed a Certificate III in animal studies at Gilles Plains TAFE, which included a work experience placement and is on the “definite path” to her dream job as a veterinarian nurse.
“I love animals, I always have,” she said. “My grandparents had a farm in Tassie with horses.”
ALWAYS WITH YOUR MATE
Norwood Morialta High School had with five sets of twins in Year 12 this year. While it might have been confusing for teachers and friends, the twins felt they had an advantage.
Athelstone 17-year-olds Sam and Jordan South chose the same subjects: Italian (continuers), nutrition, PE, English literary studies and general maths. Sam got 96 out of 100 and Jordan, 98.
“So we got pretty close to each other,” Sam said. “Obviously there’s always been a natural, healthy competition … it pushes you a bit to perform and help each other out.”
They thoroughly enjoyed the year and hope to study either physiotherapy or occupational therapy at UniSA next year. They are looking forward to learning how to help people and they love sport.
Being a twin is more like having a best friend than a brother, they say, but it’s clearly much more than that.
“It’s not like we’re finishing each other’s sentences,” Sam said (except they were). “But we always know what’s happening with each other.”
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