Meet two of The Scot School Albury’s superstar graduates

From an award-winning pipe player and musical theatre star to a graduate with plans to study in England, we speak to the top performers at Scots School Albury.

From an award-winning pipe player and musical theatre star to a graduate with plans to study in England, we speak to two of the top performers at Scots School Albury.

After a tumultuous HSC, juggling the stress and upheaval of the Covid pandemic, students are preparing to celebrate their graduation on Saturday.

This is what two of them have planned for 2022 and beyond.

Dylan Forge

Dylan, 18, has been a high achiever of Scots School in 2021.

The school captain, award-winning pipe player, and musical theatre star said years 11 and 12 were “tough”.

“I think this year definitely highly impacted things like my music. I didn’t get to come into school to practice for my HSC performance, and we missed out on quite a few things like 18th birthdays,” Dylan said.

Dylan now has to decide what his plans are for next year within the next week — enrol at the University of Adelaide, or a Scottish gap year.

After winning the Joe Todd Musical Theatre Award, the Choral Award and the Humanitas Scholarship, Dylan has been accepted to study musical theatre.

“At the moment I’m not sure what I’ll do,” Dylan said.

“I got a phone call yesterday from the University of Adelaide and they’re offering me a place in the Bachelor of Musical Theatre course. It’s very competitive and I’m very excited to be selected. There were over a thousand applications and they take a class of 25.”

Originally, Dylan had planned to complete a gap year in Scotland, working in a bagpipe factory and pursuing pipe playing.

Dylan, pictured with principal Mark Geraets, won the Clan Lamont Piping Award.

Surprisingly, Dylan only started taking singing seriously in year nine when he auditioned for the school production.

“For the production we had to do this exercise where we stood in a circle and they played ‘Summer Loving’ from Grease, and we had to sing,” he said.

“I got the lead role.”

The thought of completing tertiary studies in music only came this year, Dylan said.

“I always knew I wanted to do something practical like music, however I always saw university as a traditionally academic place, where you do history or something. But my mum was in a bush band so I’ve always grown up with music.”

Covid has largely disrupted the school’s traditional end of school celebrations.

While most students will be nervously awaiting final results, released on December 16, Dylan is hopeful he put his best foot forward.

“Throughout the HSC I was happy with how I came out after the exams. There were some really tough ones, but I was proud of myself.”

Laila Armsden

Laila Armsden, 18, is a country girl from Mansfield with her sights set on studying in England.

Like Dylan, Laila said her final year of school had been a challenge.

“It has been a challenging year, but really rewarding,” Laila said.

“It’s been an experience, especially with Covid, and it’s shown me what I can do, which I know will help me for the future.”

Laila embraced the positives of lockdown, such as studying at her home in Mansfield while schools were closed.

After graduation, Laila hopes to gain entry to the University of Reading in England, where she plans to study agriculture for three years, before studying law.

With the course starting in September (due to England’s differing study calendars), Laila hopes to complete work experience at a private equity firm in Melbourne before beginning her international adventure.

“I’ll stay in Australia until mid next year, and then I’m hoping to go backpacking with friends across the UK before I start,” Laila said.

“I’m a dual citizen through my grandmother, so it should be easy to get over.”

Laila’s interest in agriculture began from an early age as she grew up with horses and cows at her doorstep.

This year she was The Scots School’s agriculture leader, and raised $1600 for farmers affected by the 2019 bushfires.

For now, Laila plans to celebrate her final year with friends on a road trip around Victoria.

The Scots School Albury student Laila Armsden hopes to continue her passion for agriculture in the UK next year.