2021 HSC school duxes reveal future plans
Top students from across the state — recognised as their school’s dux recipient — have revealed their plans post high school.
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They are the great minds of the next generation — expected to do big things following their HSC success. Here are some of the students who topped their HSC class in schools across the state.
Tom Gerrans, 18, St Augustine’s College - Brookvale
As well as being an elite athlete at the all-boys school on the northern beaches as part of the school rowing team, where he was “Captain of Boats”, Tom found time to achieve a 99.9 ATAR.
With a passion for making and writing films Tom, from Curl Curl, is setting out on a challenging double degree at Sydney University with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in film, and a Bachelor of Advanced Studies in Media and Communication.
At St Augustine’s he also studied Drama and Extension 2 (4 unit) English and wrote and produced his own fiction film, which he described as “having romantic elements”, as one of his major works.
“Right now, I’m interested in functional films, but I would be glad to go into any form of filmmaking. I just love anything to do with film, directing and writing.”
Tom said there were challenges due to the impact of Covid lockdowns and restrictions, especially the delay to the final HSC exams.
“It was a pretty stressful time to be honest,” he said. “It wasn’t great.
“But we got there in the end. I was pretty about that.
“I’m glad I don’t have to do it again.”
Tom offered some advice to this year’s HSC group if they come up against obstacles in their way.
“Talk to your friends a lot.
“You’ll be surprised how similar your experiences are to theirs and that you’re all going through the same thing.
“Share the experiences. That’s my top tip and that’s what got me through it.”
Josie Kelly, 18, Stella Maris College - Manly
This 18-year-old from Frenchs Forest has had a long held desire to work in the space industry.
Joise, who achieved an ATAR of 98.6, said she got the space bug from watching TV shows and movies when she was a young girl. The deputy principal at Stella, Louise Yeates, said Josie would probably end up working with NASA.
Josie studied the highly technical subjects of Chemistry and Physics along with Mathematics Extension 1 and 2 for the HSC.
This week Josie started her double degree - a Bachelor of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in quantum engineering and physics - at the University of NSW.
“I do want to work in the space industry, I’ve wanted to do it forever” she said.
“But I didn’t quite know where I’d fit in and what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until the end of year 11 that I realised I wanted to do the more physics side of it, the engineering and stuff.
“It came from watching all those space shows with the big questions about how big is the universe.
“It kind of blows my mind because we keep asking questions and I want to know the answers.”
Josie found the decision by education authorities to delay the final HSC exams “tricky”.
“I just didn’t know how long I could go at full speed ahead for, but it worked out.”
And she urged girls who had an interest in science and technology to give those subjects a go.
“You never know where they will take you.”
Isaac Riad, 18, St Luke’s Grammar School - Dee Why
Studying economics at university was a “no-brainer” for Isaac after achieving a 99.55 ATAR.
The 18-year-old from Collaroy is setting out on a double degree at Sydney University _ a Bachelor of Economics (Advanced Economics major) and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Data Science major)
To become DUX, Isaac studied Advanced, English Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 1 and Math Extension 2 as well as Economics, Physics and Studies of Religion.
“Since I started studying it, economics very quickly became my absolute favourite subject throughout year 11 and 12,” Isaac said.
“It combines the social sciences with more quantitative analysis in a way that I find endlessly fascinating. From that, studying at a university level was a no-brainer; there’s virtually no subject I’ve ever been as passionately interested in as economics.”
Isaac said he was excited about studying data science.
“It gives me opportunities to further study math (a subject I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed), gives me a chance to develop skills in computer science, and should overall help prepare me for a career working with data, which is something that I think I would love
“ At the end of the day, I think a career working with data analysis in any interesting project would be awesome. I think my degree should guide me towards that kind of work, and from that I’m excited to make the most of any opportunities that come my way.”
The uncertainty around the timing of the final exams was a challenge for Isaac.
“Covid certainly made the HSC a lot harder to deal with.
“If, when, and how they would take place were all such unknowns for quite a long period of time, and I found that very disruptive.
“I’ve always been a person who quite extensively plans out my study before an exam block, so effectively being unable to do so made it quite difficult at times.
“That being said, at the end of the day, in my experience I found the exams to go quite smoothly, and for that I am grateful.”
Gaofei Wang, 17, Girraween High School
Topping your class at any school is a worthy achievement but an extra special accomplishment for Year 12 graduates, such as Gaofei Wang, who studied at a selective facility.
Miss Wang’s stellar results in mathematics extension one and two, chemistry, physics and advanced English landed her a very impressive ATAR of 99.90 and crowned her school dux at Girraween High School.
The Prospect 17-year-old is now planning to study dentistry at the University of Sydney, allowing her to pursue a dream of working in the medical field.
“You have a strong relationship with your patients’ life and that’s valuable,’’ she said.
Her studies will span seven years to complete a bachelor of science undergraduate course and a postgraduate doctor of dental medicine.
Miss Wang, who migrated to Australia from China aged five, conceded she did not think she was always on course to secure the title school dux.
“I was a below average student in my junior years and as I got a bit older I realised what I wanted to do,’’ she said, noting she focused more when realising “HSC time is obviously not going to come back again”.
Contrary to remote learning being a hurdle, she found studying during lockdowns gave her “clarity and motivation”.
It’s not surprising someone pursuing a medical degree would dispense some wise health advice, especially a good night’s sleep, to this year’s intake.
“I would say that it’s important to look after your health — mental health, physical health and spiritual health,’’ she said.
Malika Kapoor, 18, Cerdon College
Like Gaofei Wang, Malika Kapoor is also an aspiring dentist and described her middle high school years as average.
The 18-year-old joined Cerdon College at Merrylands in Year 9 after transferring from a high school in Sydney’s northwest.
“I think really when I moved to Cerdon I think the quality of students was really strong and that motivated me because in Year 7 and 8, I was getting 60 per cent in my maths tests,’’ the Kellyville resident said.
She pulled her “socks up’’ and was soon achieving high marks close to 100.
“There was a sense of competitiveness but I think at the end of the day that keeps you on your feet,’’ she said.
Her ATAR of 98.4 not only bestowed her the title of school dux but meant she could achieve her dream to study a bachelor of dental surgery at the University of Adelaide.
“I was pretty shocked but I was actually quite relieved. I thought this year was pretty hard,’’ she said while packing and preparing to move interstate.
“I’m looking forward to it but my parents have done everything for me so far.
“I would say I’ve been spoonfed and told to focus on my education so I’m worried about that. I can make eggs on toast so I’ll have that every day.
“I think Mum and Dad said I’ve got this but I think they’re hiding their emotions.’’
Miss Kapoor was accepted into the University of Adelaide two weeks ago and is ready to embrace studying at the campus which is known for its practical dental facilities.
She said she looked forward to developing long term patient relations when she started her career.
“You go to work with a range of people, from the young to the elderly, and holistic and restorative care has a lot of opportunities,’’ she said.
Dean Jacobson, 18, Parramatta Marist
Students can take comfort in knowing even those who notch up 99.95 for their ATAR and come first in a course can grapple with academic life.
“I think the HSC is not about how naturally smart you are,’’ Parramatta Marist dux Dean Jacobson said.
“Especially with maths — I wanted to rip my hair out. Maths was one of the subjects that didn’t come easily but I put in hours and hours of effort and I ended up getting 99 out of 100.’’
His almost-perfect ATAR and school dux accomplishments were not the only thing he celebrated — the Guildford resident topped the state for studies of religion after scoring 50/50.
“I was over the moon,’’ the 18-year-old said.
“I thought I messed up really badly in the exam so I didn’t stop smiling after I found out.’’
Along with 99/100 for maths extension one, he scored 94/100 for maths extension two, 98/100 for business studies (and placed seventh in NSW), 96 for advanced English and 48/50 for extended English.
He plans to study a bachelor of law and economics at the University of Sydney but is also considering a career in teaching.
He has already started returning to Parramatta Marist weekly to mentor students studying English and the humanities.
Despite loathing daily reading in his formative years, he is now grateful his parents made him read every day from kindergarten, a habit he credited for his success.
He has also tried to be consistent throughout school. “I was always conscious of the fact that if I started building those habits it would take some of the pressure off.’’
Ben Luck, 18, Goulburn High School
Ben Luck, 18, was thrilled to receive the title of Dux at Goulburn High School.
“It’s something I was fortunate enough to work towards and a symbol of my hard work paying off,” Mr Luck said.
Mr Luck is one of eight and recalled that his brother also received the honorary title a few years back, which goes to show that as suggested by their last name, luck, (and a strong work ethic of course) definitely runs in the family.
“It’s sort of a family affair,” joked Mr Luck.
The Upper Lachlan local grew up on a farm near Gunning and said that “growing up surrounded by the natural environment” played a big role in his interests and chosen career path.
“I think natural biodiversity is probably my favourite subject and I would like to know as much about that as possible and go into conservation,” Mr Luck said.
He was even chosen to represent his school at a Q&A last year about the federal budget, where he was to ask an environment-related question.
“Unfortunately I was the next question in line when they finished up and didn’t get to ask it, but my question was: Why is the government so afraid of investing in renewable energies when for so many Australians it’s clearly the path forward in job creation in clean energy?” Mr Luck said.
Mr Luck, who got an ATAR in the high 80s said getting a band 6 in biology was a proud moment, and credits the science department, particularly his chemistry and biology teachers for helping him achieve success.
“I had a great support network, and they were just really good at sort of letting me go my own way with my learning,” Mr Luck said.
He also highlighted his year 7-8 maths teacher as a positive influence at school.
“Mrs Meuburn was definitely really influential for me, I didn’t really enjoy maths at that point, and she recognised that I wasn’t too bad at it and really pushed me and exposed me to some harder content that I ended up enjoying the challenge of,” Mr Luck said.
Besides school work, he enjoyed being school captain alongside his peers.
“Captaincy was really challenging with lockdown - there weren’t the normal events we had to run and I think myself and my fellow captain Lachlan Handley did pretty well,” Mr Luck said.
“Making things run smoothly for our year group at the end of the year was good.”
Mr Luck started university on Monday, where he is doing a degree in environmental science.
Ella Park, 18, Trinity Catholic College Goulburn
Ella Park, 18, was crowned dux at Trinity Catholic College in Goulburn and was very modest about her honorary title.
“It was kind of an extra award to be like, ‘Okay, you did well,’” Ms Park said.
“Different people excel at different things and I just happen to be good at applying myself in school assessments.”
The Goulburn local credited her success to planning ahead and remaining calm.
“I did all my work beforehand, got all my notes together especially for trials, as long as you have everything together you can only go into an exam thinking whatever happens, happens, and there will always be options if something goes horribly,” Ms Park said.
Her knack for planning didn’t just revolve around the classroom, but also in her role as Captain in both primary school and high school, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
“Coming from a smaller primary school, I was very quiet in year 7 because I didn’t know anyone,” Ms Park said.
“And over the years I became really extroverted and realised how much I love talking to people.”
“So when I got school captain, everything felt like it fell into place.
“I’m so proud that I had this opportunity to be able to talk to people and communicate within the school community and actually use it for something good.
“Being able to orchestrate different things that would enforce a positive change in morale, particularly during the uncertainty of Covid was really rewarding.”
In her role, some of the things Ms Park and her peers organised was the school’s first ever colour run, other fundraisers and a year 12 school dance as part of their talent show.
The filming and organising of the talent show allowed Ms Park to really tap into her creative abilities, which she also showcased through her art major work.
“I’m quite into sewing, textiles and stuff and made three different three tapestries representing my grandmother, mother and myself, symbolising the evolution of culture,” Ms Park said.
She hopes to study fashion marketing, where she can apply her love of art and fashion in “a practical sense.”
Ms Park will be doing a degree in commerce and design.
Darcy Gooday, Hawker College - Canberra
Darcy Gooday topped his year at Hawker College earning an ATAR of 99.75.
Mr Gooday said despite his time in College being disrupted by Covid-19 he didn’t find the academic side of school difficult.
“I think I was more efficient learning at home,” he said.
“The only bad thing about it was you couldn‘t see people face-to-face, you couldn’t see your friends at lunchtime but otherwise I was fine doing the work”
Mr Gooday, who studied physics, specialist maths, specialist methods and English, said it was “surprising” to find out he was to find out he was the Dux of his college.
“I was pretty excited about it - my hard work paid off I suppose,” he said.
“I think I worked hard but I didn’t work too hard.
“I still had plenty of free time hanging out with my friends and all of that, but I would say I work hard.”
This month the top student will start a new chapter; beginning a double degree in science and economics at the Australian National University.
Mr Gooday doesn’t have any clear career goals yet and said he wants to use his time at university to discover his calling.
“Throughout high school I was pretty good a science and enjoyed it a lot, and I also had an interest in economics and I liked maths and the modelling and all that so I thought (the double degree) would be a good fit,” he said.
“I don’t really know what I want to do in the future so I thought I’d try lots of different things out so I get a feel for what I really enjoy.”
For students in the ACT and throughout the country embarking on year 11 and 12 Mr Gooday has blunt advice:
“Don’t do subjects you don’t like doing; there’s no point doing it,” he said. “If you’re not enjoying it you won’t do as well in them.
“There’s no point going into college and doing the things you think you ‘should’ be doing or don’t want to do.
“It’s much more enjoyable to do the thinks you like doing and your grades will be better for it.”
His final piece of advice; have an open mind.
“There’s lots of things to learn and you never know what you might find enjoying the most,” he said. “ You should explore lots of different things.”
Ananya Aggarwal, Narrabundah College - Canberra
Narrabundah College graduate Ananya Aggarwal received a near-perfect ATAR of 99.95 earning herself the title of Dux.
She said she enjoyed her time in College despite the pandemic.
“I’m sure I’ve missed out on some things which ill never know but I am really happy,” she said.
“I made some great friends and we stayed in touch during online learning
“In Canberra we were pretty lucky we got back to school quickly.
“It didn’t feel unjust it felt like everyone was doing their best.
Ms Aggarwal, who studied chemistry, physics, two specialist maths units and English, will study medicine at UNSW, Sydney.
She said medicine wasn’t always something she had considered as a career and described her grandmother’s diagnosis with non-Hodgkins lymphoma while she was in Year 10 as a turning point for her interest in the field.
“During her terminal stages as a family we spent a lot of time in palliative care with her,” she said.
“When I saw the interactions between healthcare professionals and my grandmother it resonated with me; I wanted to have that direct patient interaction within a STEM field.”
Ms Aggarwal said while she’s not exactly certain of what field of medicine she wants to go into she is “strongly” considering neurology after completing work placements shadowing specialists during College.
For Ms Aggarwal, who has lived in Canberra for nearly her entire life since her family relocated from New Delhi, starting university means starting over in a new city.
“Canberra has always been home,” she said.
“Moving to Sydney is a pretty big jump, it’s still close to Canberra but it’s very different city and its super exciting to have this independence in a diverse city.
“I think in Canberra I’ve had a good run and it think it’s time to move on and go to a new place and meet new people.”
Her advice to year 11 and year 12 students; don’t believe the hype, and don’t ditch your hobbies and social life.
“A lot of people will hype it up to you that studying the most hours or doing the most content is the way you succeed,” she said.
“Actually it’s about finding what works best for you, the study techniques, the resources, and focusing on doing whatever you want to do and doing it well.
“With balancing your personal life, I think once is started doing that better, while also balancing extra-curricular, I definitely was achieving better academically as well.”
Emma McGrath, Newcastle Grammar School
With an incredible ATAR of 99.5, recent Newcastle Grammar School graduate Emma McGrath is perfectly positioned to dish out some advice on how best to get through the HSC.
High up on the list is maintaining a healthy study-life balance to ensure students don’t burn out. She also encourages those preparing for exams not to leave all their study until the last minute.
“I believe it’s important to make sure you aim to have a balance with studying and other activities such as spending time with your friends and exercising,” she said. “Another tip I would give is to consistently work throughout year 12 as it will help you reduce stress.”
Not being afraid to ask for help is another important piece of advice the young student is keen to pass on. Teachers have a wealth of knowledge in the subjects they teach, so students should use them to enhance their own if they’re unsure of something.
“Spending time seeking feedback on practice questions from your teachers is a great way to improve and better your understanding,” she said.
Emma’s work throughout her final two years combined with a high ATAR meant she had many opportunities available to her. She will this year head to Sydney to study biomedical engineering and hopes to study overseas in the next few years.
She’s not yet sure if this is the field she will stay in and says it’s important to keep option open and fluid.
“I definitely think it’s important to keep your options open, as it is so hard to know what you want to do in the future when you first leave school,” she said.
Emma’s excellent results were the culmination of two years of solid work, and she was elated to be crowned Newcastle’s 2021 dux.
“I was excited and very happy as I felt that the hard work I had put into my studies in Year 12 had paid off,” she said.
Angus Rogers, Hunter Valley Grammar School — Newcastle
Hunter Valley Grammar School dux Angus Rogers has set his sights sky high after finishing school - literally.
With an impressive ATAR of 97.95, Angus will later this month begin studying Aerospace and Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Newcastle.
“This would put me on track for the long-term goal of working internationally in the aerospace industry, maybe for corporations such as SpaceX or Boeing,” he said.
The recent high school graduate knew he was a good shot of being written into Hunter Valley Grammar’s record books as dux, but there was plenty of competition.
“I knew that I had a good chance of getting dux, but I also knew that there were others in my cohort doing very well,” he said.
“When my name was announced, all of my mates at the table stood up to shake my hand and this made it a pretty special moment.
“It wasn’t just the title, but the fact that this award would open up scholarships and other opportunities in the future.”
Angus said that while there was definitely a final slog as the exams neared, the hard work began two years earlier.
“It’s important to note that doing well in the HSC isn’t just about the final year. Coming to the end of stage 5 (year 10), I tried to position myself highly within the cohort in preparation for the final two years,” he said.
“For most of this time I did try to keep a balance between my academic studies and competitive swimming, but as we got close to the trial exams I had to prioritise school for the final few months.”
And he has some advice for those with the HSC still ahead of them.
“I think that the biggest thing here is taking accountability for your own process and successes/failures,” he said.
“Ultimately, you’re the one sitting the exam at the end; you need to be the one to find the improvements that realise your goals.
“In terms of study, this translates into practices such as breaking down the areas where you lose marks, and then targeting your study to your own specific needs.”
Harkirat Singh, Patrician Brothers — Blacktown
It’s not often a student will heap praise on the teachers who have guided them through six years of schooling, but Harkirat Singh is quick to point out they were instrumental in his excellent results in the HSC and being named dux of his school.
“After a tough and complicated year, I achieved an ATAR of 99.20 through the persistence, unwavering support and firm resolve of the staff and teachers at Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown,” he said. “They have assisted me immensely in my six-year-long journey of secondary education, as have all my peers in the cohort, by cultivating a collective strength in unity.
Harkirat’s efforts saw him place in the top band in four subjects including topping the state in one.
“In the HSC, I excelled in Punjabi, English, Biology and Studies of Religion (1 unit), for all of which I attained a band 6,” he said. “I also attained a first-place state rank in Punjabi with a mark of 99.”
He now has his sights firmly set on a distinguished career in medicine and already knows what he wants to specialise in.
“The plan now is to enter university and study medical science as a pathway into medicine,” he said. “The main long-term future goal and career aspiration is to be a doctor of medicine, specialising in the field of neurology. This is something I am highly passionate about and would love to pursue as an academic endeavour of contributing a valuable social impact.”
Shanelle Silva, St Andrews College — Marayong
After a tough couple of years of lockdowns and disruptions, St Andrew’s College, Maryong, dux Shanelle Silva is looking forward to starting the next stage of her life.
Excelling in maths and science on her way to an impressive 98.25 ATAR, it’s little wonder Shanelle is planning to use that knowledge as she embarks on her tertiary studies and then her career.
“I‘m going on to study engineering at the University of New South Wales. Specifically, I’m going to be undertaking a double degree program, in which I will be completing a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Biomedical Engineering.”
The talented student hopes to one day use her skills to make a difference in the lives of others.
“My career aspiration is to become an engineer, specifically a chemical and biomedical engineer,” she said.
“I hope to pursue further tertiary study as well, to hopefully obtain a PhD. I hope that with my qualifications I am able to one day create life-changing devices which help aid individuals in their everyday lives.”
Farida Zaheer, St Agnes Catholic High School — Rooty Hill
The teachers at St Agnes Catholic High School in Rooty Hill were instrumental in guiding Farida Zaheer through two of the toughest years faced by senior students in recent years, the recent graduate said.
Farida outperformed her expectations and gave a particular shout out the staff for their hard work.
“In the HSC, I did better than I had expected — this includes achieving high bands for PDHPE, Advanced English, Studies Of Religion 1, Extension English 1, and Maths Advanced,” the school dux said. “This great achievement was only possible thanks to the unrelenting support of our teachers, especially through such a tough year, urging us to always try our best.”
When deciding what to study at uni, Farida looked at her strengths and tried to marry them up with what course she would enrol in.
She thinks she nailed it.
“Now, I am a student at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. My aim with higher study is to continue learning and excelling in the fields that I enjoy,” she said. “Therefore, almost in harmony with those subjects, the course I chose to study at uni is a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Hons)/ Bachelor of Arts.”
As with many students who have just wrapped up 13 years of study, Farida hasn’t yet locked in plans for her career post-university, but she’d confident she’s on the right track.
“Although my idea of a future career is not yet concrete, through this course, I am very much interested in and looking forward to further learning and research,” she said.
Evan Gerard Payumo Diego, St Marys Senior High School
St Marys Senior High School dux, Evan Gerard Payumo Diego, scored an enviable 99.35 in the HSC but was shocked to hear he’d gotten the school’s top honour.
“When I heard I was gobsmacked. I told my mum straight away and she’s always told me I’d get it but it’s funny how much faith she had in me,” Mr Diego said.
“I appreciate the dux as a recognition of my efforts. I didn’t expect to get dux because I moved to Australia in 2018, in year 9, and adapting to a foreign curriculum is tough but it looks like I don’t need to worry about that since I’ve adapted pretty well.”
Mr Diego recommends future dux-wannabes focus on balancing their lives.
“Stay on top of your work but also make sure you take time for yourself, don’t make everyday a work day,” he said.
The St Marys young gun will be enrolling in a Bachelor of Medical Science at UNSW which he hopes will lead him into a doctor of medicine down the line. In the meantime, he has a couple of other things he’d like to get up to.
The ultimate goal is to become a general practitioner but for now I want to do more volunteer work, get into some leadership roles and travel with mates when lockdown ends,” Mr Diego said.
Jack Braga, Penrith Anglican College
Penrith Anglican College’s dux Jack Bragha’s first reaction to hearing that he’d gotten dux was thankfulness.
“It was the culmination of a lot of hard work. For me personally, my first reaction was to praise God for my teachers and that he’s blessed me with the ability to do well in this test,” Mr Braga said.
Braga had some advice for those who are facing the HSC this year.
“Take hold of your own learning. It’s not your parents or teachers HSC, it’s yours. Use all your resources, put the hard work in and be assured in your efforts paying off,” he said.
The 18-year-old, who scored an impressive 96.65, has started studying actuarial studies and computer science at UNSW.
“I can see myself working as an actuary or in risk analysis in financial settings,” Mr Bragha said.
“Now that HSC is over, there’s going to be a lot more time for me to better serve the church by running kids church on Sunday, bible study and serving people in other congregations as well as my own.”
Jacinta Buhagiar, Emmaus Catholic College — Kemps Creek
Achieving three band 6s in Advanced Mathematics, Advanced English and Studies of Religion 2 — Jacinta Buhagiar claimed Dux for Emmaus Catholic College Kemps Creek.
“I didn’t really believe it at first, I went so much better than I expected. I was so happy and excited with such a great result,” Ms Buhagiar said.
The college dux scored 95.48 while working shifts at the local McDonalds, being part of the college leadership team and found solace in school debating.
“I found that more of a de-stresser rather than adding to the list of stuff I had to do,” she said.
Jacinta attributed her success to an optimistic attitude.
“It was hard but I was determined to stay motivated to do well in my final year of school,” she said. “I had to go ahead and be independent and work hard for myself. You couldn’t wait for people to tell you to do things”.
The young trailblazer now plans to study a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Pathology at UNSW.
Joshua Dickford, Central Coast Grammar
Joshua Dickford was named dux of Central Coast Grammar School after he obtained an ATAR of 99.35.
The school’s top student is set to attend the University of Sydney to study a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics and Space.
“I’m looking into anything involving the Australian space industry, which has been rapidly expanding in recent years, and I hope in a couple of years there will be even more operations up and running around Australia,” Mr Dickford told NewsLocal.
“The idea of working in a relatively new industry such as the space industry is exciting to me as it would open up opportunities to be able to discover and create new things and maybe have a job or career that doesn’t even exist right now.”
The former Central Coast Grammar student said it was “weird” to be done with school after 13 years of study: “it’s overall very exciting to be starting a new journey which is more self-driven and independent where we are afforded the freedom to choose what we want to do; whether that be study, work or travel”.
“Teachers, even throughout lockdowns, were always responsive to communications or available to have a one-on-one zoom call to check in,” he said.
“When lockdowns were lifted, the support was way easier to access in person and at school, and it was great to organise HSC study groups with classmates in person instead of over zoom in the weeks before the exams.”
Trinity Phoenix, Lakes Grammar — Warnervale
Trinity Phoenix is set to study a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at the University of Technology, Sydney, after securing an ATAR of 98.25.
“While I’m not entirely sure of what I want to do specifically, the IT sector has always appealed to me as a place of continuous innovation that has the power to vastly improve our future,” Ms Phoenix said.
“As someone who wants to be part of this change, having a career in this industry seems natural.
“After 13 years of schooling I’m really looking forward to moving on to the next stage of life and gaining skills in an area that I have a strong interest in.”
The Lakes Grammar student said it was “strange” transitioning to a different environment; “the sense of freedom is fantastic and I’m excited about what the future holds”.
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