Impressive marks on the world: Geelong’s past school duxes now
Geelong duxes have racked up impressive achievements, from studying AI to starting a reproductive health clinic, since topping the class. See where they are now.
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Geelong’s school duxes have achieved much more than just top marks in Year 12.
Many have since gone on to make impressive marks on the world, whether that be through working as a teacher in a rural area, studying artificial intelligence (AI), or starting up a reproductive health clinic.
Here’s what some of Geelong’s duxes are up to now.
Kardinia College
Tahlia Sugrue (2011)
Tahlia Sugrue graduated as Kardinia College dux in 2011, with an International Baccalaureate score equivalent to a ATAR of 99.95.
Thirteen years later she lives in Melbourne with her partner of a decade and now-husband, Daniel, and works as a GP in the western suburbs.
Ms Sugrue has helped establish a sexual and reproductive health clinic.
“I didn’t see it coming, but I love it,” she said.
“You never really know what you want to do (when you’re 18), it’s always something you have thought of.”
Mr Sugrue said life never goes like you expect it will, but in many ways it’s always the things you don’t expect that make it better.
“Doors open up and you get to do things you’ve never dreamt of,” she said.
Ms Sugrue said her parents and brother were still in Newtown, and most her school friends have also settled near Geelong, so she still visits regularly.
Son ‘Jayden’ Pham (2018)
Son ‘Jayden’ Pham graduated as dux from Kardinia in 2018, as the co-school captain, with an ATAR of 99.9.
He was a Vietnamese international student.
After four years living and studying in Canberra, he has now settled in Sydney.
“I’ve now lived in three different states/territory in the nine years living in Australia,” he said.
Mr Pham works as a senior actuarial analyst at global life reinsurance company Pacific Life Re.
“After completing a double degree in actuarial studies and finance at ANU, I am committed to pursuit an actuarial career and currently enrolled in the education program at Australia Actuaries Institute,” he said.
“I hope to be qualified as an actuary by the end of this year.”
Actuaries are professionals in risk management.
Mr Pham is still in touch with his high school friends, but as they are spread out across the country their catch-ups look a little different nowadays.
“We occasionally organised virtual game nights since we live in different places now,” he said.
“I’m living in Sydney with a close high school friend.”
Mr Pham said he still occasionally visited Geelong.
“If I’m in Australia for Christmas, I would always spend this special time with my homestay family,” he said.
St Josephs College
Robert Citroni (1990)
In the 34 years since graduating as St Joey’s dux in 1990, Rob Citroni has worked as doctor in an intensive care and general medicine, lived in London, started a family and a rockabilly band, and dabbled in astrophotography.
Mr Citroni lives in Melbourne with his wife and two kids, and works at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and John Faulkner Private Hospital.
“I went to Melbourne in 1991 to study medicine and I’ve been here ever since, apart from a year at St Thomas Hospital in London.” he said.
“The work can be demanding … but it’s rewarding,” he said.
“I always got the most satisfaction looking after my sickest patients.”
He said as the years have passed he has learned to value balance, cutting back on work to spend time with family and play guitar in his band, The Mighty Kings.
Northern Bay College
Roghayeh Sadeghi (2019)
Iranian-born Roghayeh Sadeghi graduated as Northern Bay College dux in 2019.
Today she is studying a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of International Studies at Deakin University, and works as a paralegal at King and Wood Mallesons.
“I support the corporate and finance teams with legal research and client communication,” she said.
“I also participate in pro bono and community initiatives, such as mentoring high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds and providing legal advice to refugees and asylum seekers.”
Ms Sadeghi said she focused her studies on banking, corporate, and securities law and had received multiple scholarships and awards for academic excellence and leadership potential.
Liam Jones (2020)
Liam Jones, Northern Bay College’s 2020 dux, was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at Deakin University, majoring in pharmaceutical sciences.
He said as the first to complete VCE in his family, he felt compelled to higher education for better life prospects.
Mr Jones said during his undergraduate studies, he commenced various roles in the not-for-profit, vocational education and higher education sectors.
He said his latest role involved providing high-level administrative support to a government initiative program to empower long-term disengaged community members in the Barwon region.
He graduated his undergrad with a high distinction average and is now completing an honours year in supramolecular chemistry.
Christian College
Bridgette Benney (2021)
Christian College’s 2021 dux Bridgette Benney is now in her third year of a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University.
Ms Benney recently moved to Melbourne CBD to be closer to campus, but comes home to visit family and friends often.
“I told myself at the beginning of Year 12 that I’d give my classes my best shot because I’m excited about what I’m learning, rather than stressing about the marks,” she said.
“There were times during the year where the stress could start creeping in, I would wonder if my approach would end up working.”
Now, though, Ms Benney said she would tell herself she was doing the right thing.
“It ended up yielding a better overall experience, with better results as a happy by-product,” she said.
James Bushell (2022)
Winchelsea’s James Bushell, Christian College‘s 2022 dux, has since moved to Melbourne where he is studying AI.
“I grew up rurally so it’s nice to get out of the city and come back to the farm every once in a while,” he said.
He said given the advent of computing and AI in our currently world, he hoped to combine his interests in the computing, medical and biological fields.
“At the moment, I am tutoring school students on the side, and I also hope to do some travelling towards the end of this year, after the second semester,” he said.
Geelong High
Jonathan Brown (2019)
After graduating as dux of Geelong High in 2019, Jonathan Brown received a scholarship to study teaching at Federation University in Ballarat.
Five years on he is still living in Ballarat and working as a teacher in Bannockburn, while completing the final year of his studies.
He said it hadn’t been easy adjusting to teaching but his two years as an education support worker helped.
“It was a little bit in the deep end … but you see the most growth through your biggest challenge,” Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown specialises in maths and science, and said he had a few year nine science and maths classes that remind him of how much he and his friends misbehaved at school.
“I remember my teachers, and I do feel a bit bad for (them),” he said.
He said his own teachers Mr Colsch and Mr Brown inspired his style in the classroom.
North Geelong College
Haisong Qi (2023)
Haisong Qi, who topped the North Geelong College class of 2023 with an ATAR of 99.7, is living on-campus at the University of Melbourne, with a residency scholarship at Little Hall, and studying his Bachelor of Science.
Mr Qi works casually for his former school as an education support staffer, going into classes and assisting students with their learning.
Mr Qi also works casually for Skyline Education Foundation Australia, and their social enterprise Skyline Hatch, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting VCE students from non-traditional and low SES backgrounds.
“My role involves mentoring students for Skyline, and tutoring/website maintenance for Skyline Hatch,” he said.
A few months on from finishing school, Mr Qi said he wishes he’d known the future is limitless.
“And so is your potential,” he said.
Geelong College
Samuel Wong (2015)
Samuel Wong graduated from Geelong College in 2015, before moving to Melbourne to study Science followed by engineering at the University of Melbourne and then work as a embedded software engineer.
“It’s a very dynamic workplace, with lots of different projects so you never stuck in one field,” he said.
“Its interesting to me.”
It was through a friend from Geelong College, also studying at Melbourne, that Mr Wong met his now partner Stephanie.
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