VCE 2019: Eliana Bravington gets US basketball scholarship as ATAR results released
Rowville Secondary College’s Eliana Bravington had a sleepless night waiting for her VCE results, but it was worth the wait. And now she’s now off to fulfil her US basketball college dreams next year.
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Eliana Bravington is set for a slammin’ 2020.
The Sandhurst 18-year-old has landed a basketball scholarship with California Baptist University and is moving to the US next month.
But today, she’s going to have an afternoon nap after a sleepless night waiting for her VCE results, which were released at 7am.
The Rowville Secondary College student got an ATAR score of 75.45, and her best subject was geography, where she got a study score of 36.
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“I was expecting the mid-70s so I’m happy,” she said.
“I couldn’t sleep this morning, I woke up at 3.30am, stayed up for 40 minutes, went back to sleep, then got up at 6.”
Eliana and her friends had an early-morning group chat on Facetime to discuss results and comfort those who didn’t do as well as they would have liked.
She’s flying out to California on January 6 and will play with her college’s NCAA division one team — the Lancers — while she studies psychology, which she completed as a fast track subject in Year 11.
Eliana, who is 190cm and usually plays as a centre, gained the attention of US university scouts while she played in Victoria’s under-20 team.
“I visited them early in the year and fell in love with the campus and all the people there,” she said.
“I’m really excited and just a little nervous, it’s what I’ve dreamt of doing since I was in Grade 5 or 6.”
Eliana juggled her VCE studies at Rowville Secondary College with her basketball commitments and part time job at IGA.
She studied biology, English, further maths, health and human development and geography
at the college despite living almost half an hour away.
“I made so many lifelong friends and they’ve been so supportive of my choice to go to the US,” she said.
Eliana is a huge San Antonio Spurs fan and rated Australian Opals legend Lauren Jackson as her biggest inspiration.
She said her ultimate goal was to play in a European league — potentially Germany as her grandfather was from there and she could visit her relatives.
Education Minister James Merlino congratulated students and families on their results and urged those who didn’t get the results they were after to keep things in perspective.
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“Completing VCE is an incredible moment and I want to congratulate the class of 2019 for reaching this milestone,” Mr Merlino said.
“Thank you to the parents, friends and teachers across the state who have provided encouragement and guidance to help this year’s VCE and VCAL students reach this educational milestone.”
“For some students, this may not be the result you wished for but just remember that your results do not define you. There are many pathways to success including higher education, TAFE, traineeships and full-time work.”