Why this MLC boarder is swapping a city education for the outback

Seventeen-year-old Elise Nixon has proven you can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl.

MLC student Elise Nixon, Yarrawonga, NSW, will study agriculture after finishing her VCE but hopes to take a gap year as a jillaroo first.

After finishing her final VCE exam, Elise Nixon was back behind the wheel of a chaser bin, helping bring in the harvest on her family’s 7000ha Riverina property at Oaklands, NSW.

But the 17-year-old Methodist Ladies’ College graduate won’t be staying long - she’s planning to trade wheat and barley for Brahmans, heading north for a gap year to work as a jillaroo before pursuing a double degree in agriculture and business.

At 12, Elise became a full-time boarder at MLC in Melbourne, four hours drive from home.

Now, as she awaits her VCE results, Elise reflects on how boarding has shaped her future.

“Up until the start of Year 11, I wanted to do nursing, then I had a look at some agricultural courses and thought, ‘no, this is what I want to do’,” Elise said.

She has been a paid worker on the family farm since the end of Year 8; her favourite thing is to help with harvest.

Completing VET Business alongside VCE subjects such as geography and photography gave her hands-on experience in marketing, professional documentation and customer service - practical skills she’ll carry into agriculture.

Her parents have supported her ambitions, even if they were initially surprised by her choice.

“I think they always knew I was going to do agriculture, and one day, if I want to, I could run the family farm and go down that business path,” Elise said.

Boarding at MLC has built the independence she’ll need for life back on the land.

“I’m so grateful for the experience of living in Melbourne; the school is in such a great location, but I’m ready to go back to my natural habitat,” Elise said.

MLC student Elise Nixon, Oaklands, NSW.