2021 Mackay school captains reflect on senior year

This year’s school captains have well and truly finished up their schooling and now they look towards the future. Read what Mackay’s captains have planned for the years ahead.

The 2021 school year has wrapped up, but the hard work is not behind Mackay’s 2021 school captain graduates just yet.

The Daily Mercury has reached out to Mackay’s school captains from 2021 about their experiences and expectations for their senior year.

Whitsunday Anglican School

William Deeley

William started his schooling at Whitsunday Anglican School in Kindergarten in 2008.

“It feels pretty surreal to be finished, having been at the school for 14 years and now being an Old Scholar and in the graduating class of 2021,” he said.

“Fourteen years ago, it was unimaginable to think one day I, alongside all my peers, would be walking out the front gates entering the world that awaits.

“But it is comforting knowing that I’ve graduated with a very close cohort, we’ll stay in touch and we have a solid foundation and friendships that will equip us for whatever lies ahead in our futures.

“I would like to give my sincere thanks and gratitude to all the teachers, teacher aides, tutors and staff members who contributed to our journey, and for helping to teach us how to succeed as students and as people.”

William aims to study a Bachelor of mathematics/science at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.

“(I hope to find) a specific avenue in maths that I can pursue further as a career,” he said.

“Maths is a personal passion of mine. I’m looking forward to going to Brisbane, making new connections and building on the next chapter.”

Despite completing his senior schooling during the pandemic, William said he had been fortunate enough to live in a regional area that had not been “too affected by Covid”.

“The school was fully able to help cater for online learning and the challenges it presented,” he said.

“Other than missing a few inter school events and activities, academically we were almost unaffected thanks to the online learning program.

“For uni, it’s definitely a bit daunting going to the city from a regional area and knowing that Covid is going to exist and probably be more prevalent down there.

“But it is just going to be a part of what we have to accept now, a part of life.”

Mackay State High School

Pushti Shah

Pushti was a “highly committed and hardworking school captain and … has carried the role with confidence”.

A school spokeswoman said Pushti had been an outstanding role model to her peers and younger students.

“She has also been a positive and passionate captain, who has shown great pride in representing our school,” the spokeswoman said.

“This year Pushti has been involved in a variety of activities, representing the school community at Meals on Wheels, ANZAC Day and at Cluster Primary School events, freely volunteering her time.”

Pushti was named as a Dux Candidate for 2021, and was awarded Academic Honours for her overall Academic Achievement performance.

She was awarded the Faculty Medal in Humanities and the Subject Awards for Certificate III in Health Services Assistance and Legal Studies, where she obtained a score of 100 per cent on her school-based assessment.

Pushti was also recognised with Leadership and School Spirit Honours as well as winning The Hill Family Scholarship, which is awarded to the leading Mackay SHS student who has been nominated to follow a career in law.

In 2022, Pushti is looking forward to Griffith University studies with a Bachelor of in Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts.

Karissa Giumelli

“Karissa has been a highly committed and hardworking school captain, and she has carried the role with confidence and charisma,” the spokeswoman said.

“She has been an outstanding role model to all of her fellow students. She has been a positive and passionate captain who has always shown great pride in our school.

“Karissa has readily undertaken many tasks throughout the year, always ready to lend a hand and volunteer her time to help others or to support school projects.”

Karissa also represented the school on the school’s Netball Academy.

“At our Academic Awards Night Karissa was awarded Academic and School Spirit Honours for her overall Academic Achievement and extra-curricular engagement,” the spokeswoman said.

She was also recognised with the Year 12 Leadership Medal and the Year 12 Australian Defence Force, Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award.

Karissa has been selected for an early offer to study a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, at JCU in 2022.

Sarina State High

Brady Hohenhaus

After meeting the challenge of schooling during a pandemic, Sarina State High School captain Brady Hohenhaus wants to study digital media.

“Some challenges of the last two years caused by Covid would have to be in year 11, where we had to stay at home and work online,” Brady said.

“The servers were overloaded and crashed. I wished the government had rolled out the lockdowns earlier but nothing else really bothered (me).

“I plan to go to uni and join the digital media workforce.”

Bethany Bierton

“Our community was very lucky when it came to Covid,” Bethany said.

“Although 2020 was very hard for everyone and a lot of our schooling activities got cancelled, we were very lucky to be able to get back to school and be surrounded by our friends and staff who supported us through that journey.

“Covid didn’t have an impact on us in 2021 as we were able to pursue all events and activities that were planned throughout the year.

“The government’s handle on the pandemic worked well for most states. Queensland recorded the lowest number of cases in (the beginning) until the government decided to open up the borders again where I believe didn’t allow enough time for the states to recover.”

Bethany plans to study at university and become a registered nurse.

“But as the world has shown (us) in the past two years, plans can change very quickly so who knows where I might end up.”

The Daily Mercury contacted all the high schools from across the Mackay region.