Catholic Education Week Last week, we celebrated Catholic Education Week with the theme, “Communities of Faith, Hope and Love”. Activities throughout the week included lunch time sausage sizzle and Lunchbox Concerts for students, a staff breakfast and staff lunch and our House Day Mass, celebrated by Fr Matthias. It was wonderful to come together and acknowledge all the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day.
Year 12 Formal Another highlight of the week was our Year 12 Formal at the Mackay Entertainment Convention Centre. Congratulations to all of our students who presented so well. It was a great celebration for parents, students and staff. I reminded students that they are our hope for the future. As they draw closer to completing Year 12, they, together with their parents will feel some form of nervousness for the future. This is because they will have to move out of their comfort zone of senior schooling and enter into a new area of change. Change brings growth and adaptation. They should cherish these final months of their schooling, remain motivated to the end and embrace the future. Special thanks to Miss Samantha Nutt and Mrs Juliene Benson for their many hours of preparing this memorable night.
Parent Engagement Evening Last Tuesday, we held our Parent Engagement Session - ‘Turning School Reluctance into School Resilience’. I wish to thank our College Counsellors who presented. I hope the families who attended found it useful. A summary of the information presented, together with additional helpful resources was emailed to all our community. In writing today, I wish to highlight the importance of attendance at school.
At St Patrick’s College, we have set a benchmark for students to achieve an attendance rate of 90%. Our special days, including carnivals, camps, retreats etc are also compulsory school days and not ‘optional extras’. These days form a part of who we are as a community.
I do understand that there will be times when being absent from school is unavoidable, as in the case of a serious illness etc. It is important that our House Coordinators are well informed of any special circumstances so that we will be able to support and assist families.
Attendance at school is vital for a good education. I draw your attention to the flyer below that shows how just one day away per week will calculate to 2.5 years away from school over a 13 year period. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please contact our House Coordinators or Counsellors so we can assist.
St Patrick’s Community I would like to welcome the following staff to our St Pat’s community: Lorraine McLennan, Alex Shepherd, Alex Pointing-Boyd, Joshua Wilson, Tatiana Picken, Todd Turner, Jasmine Breayley, Cassandra Poelstra and Michael Maunder. Welcome to St Patrick's College.
Assistant Principal Mission - Brendan Gunning
Catholic Education Week 21 - 27 July 2024
Catholic Education Week was celebrated in Catholic schools in Queensland from 21-27 July 2024. This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools and to highlight the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day. The theme for this year’s celebrations: Communities of Faith, Hope and Love.
Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.
There are 312 Catholic schools in Queensland that educate around 160,000 students and employ more than 21,000 teachers and staff, and most will celebrate Catholic Education Week in some way.
Our College held a number of activities during the week including: Monday 22 - Catholic Education Week Trivia – conducted each day in Homerooms. Tuesday 23 - Senior Campus – Karaoke, Sausage Sizzle, Students v Teachers Touch Game, Cupcakes for students. Wednesday 24 – Mercy Campus - House Day Mass. Presentation of Spirit of Catholic Education Award. Junior Students celebrated remainder of the day in Houses: (Harbour Beach, Bucasia Beach, Mackay Indoor Sports Arena) Thursday 25 – Staff Lunch - Senior Campus. Buddy Reading – St Mary’s Primary School. Friday 26 – Staff Breakfast – Mercy Campus. Saturday 27 – Youth Mass - St Mary’s Church. 6.30pm. Disco for St Mary’s students - assisted by our St Patrick’s students.
Assistant Principal Administration-Tracey McLeod
School TV: Eating Anxiety
The complexity of eating anxiety stems from a combination of social, psychological, and environmental factors. Young people may develop this anxiety due to social pressures related to eating in front of others, fears about body image, or due to more ingrained issues such as eating disorders. Additionally, cultural norms or dietary restrictions can also play significant roles, as can direct experiences like bullying or teasing related to food choices or eating habits.
Whilst not a formally recognised condition, eating anxiety is a genuine and often overwhelming experience that can significantly hinder a young person's ability to participate in everyday activities comfortably. This condition can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and social withdrawal, impacting overall health and academic performance.
Recognising and addressing eating anxiety is crucial for parents, carer, and educators. Through education, policy changes, and community support, we can help young people manage their anxieties and improve their relationship with food, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and social interactions.
This Special Report will help you understand how best to support a child experiencing anxiety around eating.
St Patrick’s College Cultural Department has had quite a few performances recently, representing our College and doing us proud as always. Beginning with The Hot Potato Band workshop, our Concert Band performed with the Sydney based ensemble to the St Mary’s cohort, who loved the range of instruments and grooves as they got out of their seats to dance in the hall. We also had both Rock Pop Mime and CQU Jazzfest. Our Stage Band performed for esteemed Trumpeter Mr Ray Cassar, who then conducted a workshop alongside the CQU lecturers, where our students learned key foundations of jazz performance.
After a great day of rehearsing and getting ready together, our junior Rock Pop Mime ensemble led by Mr Ashley Fergus and Mrs Natalie Porter performed their original work ‘Witches’ at the New Life Church. Although we didn’t place, our dancers delivered an outstanding and entertaining performance to the public and their peers, well done.
Below is the gig guide for this term. Please note all dates for your relevant ensemble. We have some big performances coming up this term such as Instrumental and Choral Eisteddfod, Dance Exchange Competition at the Sunshine Coast and our Cultural Showcase. Our students must attend all rehearsals prepared and on time, as only a few practices are left to polish and memorise our music. Further information for all of these events will be communicated through Google Classroom.
Sports Department - Matthew Sanders
Sports News
St Patrick's College Year 7 -12 Mackay Facebook Page For all that is happening in the week ahead of sports, be sure to follow and like our Facebook page for SPC interschool sports game times and venues.
Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball (QISSN) 2024 The CQUniversity QISSN Carnival is considered the best Netball competition in Australia. With over 64 schools competing over five days this carnival is by far the most in demand netball event.
QISSN gives netballers an insight into the beginner elite netball arena. Our St Patrick’s Open Girls Team are to be commended for their conduct ‘on and off the court’ held in Townsville over the Term 2 holidays.
Finishing 4th in Division 3, the team fought hard, no matter what the scoreboard showed, displaying character and integrity. Well done and thanks to students and staff for your dedication to our college netball program.
A shout out to Lacie C (Year 10) voted SPC Most Valued Player of the Carnival and Shaylah P (Year 11) who was named in the 2024 QISSN All Stars Team.
We are pleased to announce the appointment of our very own Principal, Mrs Janelle Agius, as the newly elected President of QISSN, succeeding Mrs Ann Rebgetz of St James Cathedral College, Brisbane.
Mrs Agius commences her new role in Term 4 2024 and looks forward to working alongside experienced executive members, with a goal of continued participation growth in QISSN.
Like all members of the QISSN executive, Mrs Agius is passionate about sport and brings excellent leadership skills as well as a breadth of knowledge gained from her career roles in education. Congratulations Mrs Agius, we are proud of your commitment to Netball and this exciting appointment!
QISSN 2025 is the 25th Anniversary and will be held in Bundaberg. Be sure to save the dates and book early, Monday 30 June - Friday 4 July 2025.
Vicki Wilson Cup In July, our Silver Boys travelled to Rockhampton to compete against Chanel College, Gladstone in the Vicki Wilson Cup Capricornia boys Final. The boys were up against a skilled Chanel team and lost the game 8 to 24.
Coach Fergus said “The team played with grit and determination and with a never say die attitude. The boys improved in their game play and skills throughout the season. I'm looking forward to their growth in the 2025 season as they are a young, talented and raw team.”
Thanks to The Cathedral College for hosting the game and supplying umpires.
Silver Team: Captain Jayden S (Yr 11), Vice-Captain Matthew G (Yr 12), Isaac C (Yr 10), Treyce C (Yr 10), Bryce C (Yr 11), Mateo F (Yr 10), Lincoln G (Yr 10), Max K (Yr 10), Hayden R(Yr 10).
Vicki Wilson Finals Nissan Arena, 9 - 10 August Our Gold (Open) and Navy (9A) girls teams continue to train for Vicki Wilson finals in Brisbane. We wish staff and players the best of luck in the finals, where they will compete in the Cup and Shield respectively.
Gold Team: Co Captains Kacee Z (Yr 12) and Camryn Z (Yr 12), Keely A (Yr 11), Tahlia A (Yr 10), Lacie C (Yr 10), Mischa D (Yr 12), Sophie D (Yr 11), Tayla L (Yr 10), Skye M (Yr 10), Mia P (Yr 10).
Navy Team: Captain Alexis S (Yr9), Vice - Captains Alyssa B (Yr9) and Paige L (Yr9), Charlotte B (Yr9), Emmi B (Yr9), Milla C (Yr9), Georgia E (Yr9), Alexis K (Yr9), Jamie-Leigh R (Yr9), Kelsie Z (Yr9).
Library - Stephen Crocker
Library News
What’s been happening in the library? Week 1 saw the Year 10 Extension English students, alongside members of the Book Club, attend the Whitsunday Voices Literature Festival. Highlight for the day was Kate Ceberano, with her musical renditions and reflections on her life. Nick Earls talked about the positive outcomes from reading and how many actual books we could have read instead of scrolling through all of those you-tube clips and cat memes! Overall, an enjoyable day was had by all making it one of the highlights on the Mackay Festival of Arts calendar.
Friday 26 July saw the beginning of the Olympics and Paralympic Games, and the library has produced a display to mark the occasion. Upcoming events are the Dress Up day for Book Week, the Epic Reader Awards and the Art Bursary.
Happy reading everyone!
St Vincent de Paul Committee
Vinnies News
Good Works The Vinnies Committee at St Patrick's College - Mercy Campus continued the Good Works this year by donating $2000 to the local St Vinnies Winter Appeal, providing crucial support to those in need during winter. Last term, Vinnies also collected hampers filled with essential items like food and blankets.
Cookies for Kindness The Vinnies Committee celebrated Catholic Education Week with their Cookies for Kindness initiative. Students baked and packaged yummy M&M cookies for the First Responders in our South Mackay region and delivered them in the Brekky Van on Friday during their lunch break. They also chose several Community groups who they felt would benefit from a sweet treat. Thank-you to all students and staff involved in the process - the donations to those who work so hard in our community were much appreciated.
What’s next… Vinnies will turn the focus to Mercy Works this term and will hold a Father's Day stall as well as raffle. More details to be announced closer to the date.
VET / Careers Department
Careers Advisor - Susan McKay
Year 12 students are busy planning their after-school career pathway. Each student will have an individual appointment with Susan McKay - Careers Advisor before the end of Term 3.
The Qld Tertiary Admission Centre (QTAC) opened this week for Year 12 students. QTAC is the organisation that collects the students’ results, calculates their ATAR (if applicable) and distributes the offers of university courses to the successful students. Any student wishing to study a university course, whether it be a bachelor’s degree or diploma, needs to create a QTAC account. If they are ATAR eligible, they will also need to open an ATAR account to receive their score. Students must use a private email address when opening their QTAC account and check this email frequently throughout the application and offer process.
Courses can be found and researched by searching the QTAC website. Students must also ensure they pay the $65 fee for their application to be considered.
A representative from QTAC is presenting an information session on Friday 2 August at 5:30pm at the senior campus in J1. He will explain the process of applying to QTAC, how to respond to an offer and answer questions relating to this process.
The following are key dates for QTAC: Thursday 1 August - Opening of Admissions applications for 2025 Thursday 1 August - Opening of ATAR Portal registration for 2024 Year 12 students Friday 13 December - Release of 2024 ATAR results Monday 23 December - December Offer round Thursday 16 January - January Offer round
Scholarships Year 12 students are encouraged to apply for scholarships on offer at the university they are wanting to attend. Each university has a different process for applying for scholarships and what is offered. Students are to search the university website for these scholarships as they have varying opening and closing times and criteria.
Accommodation colleges also offer some scholarships. If students are applying to one of these colleges, they should check their website for information about these scholarships and criteria.
Student Counsellor
Parent Engagement Evening - "Turning School Reluctance to School Resilience"
On Tuesday 23 July, St Patrick’s College Counselling team presented at the Parent Engagement Evening on anxiety and school reluctance. This information session addressed the growing concern around school reluctance in students, explored the root of the causes, impact and consequences of anxiety, absenteeism and school avoidance. Thank you to all parents who were able to attend this event.
There are many contributing factors behind what may be the cause around adolescents not wanting to come to school. Some of these may include learning difficulties, academic pressure, changes or conflicts that are occurring in the home environment, physical injury or illness, lack of confidence or peer relationships. This presentation focused on the concern around peer relationships.
Adolescence is a crucial period in social development and this is where they are easily swayed by their friendships and peers. Creating and maintaining strong peer relationships are critical to their personal development. Managing these relationships is the most challenging and important developmental task adolescents face.
Friendships can be increasingly difficult for adolescents as the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that helps them make decisions) is not fully developed. This makes it difficult for teens to regulate their emotions and can lead to impulsive behaviour. Early adolescence can be particularly challenging as they can often be comparing themselves to others and the focus can be more on “fitting in” then building genuine and meaningful friendships. This at times may lead to poor behaviour choices.
Teens who are aware of their strengths and have a positive sense of self, tend to navigate their relationships better and resist peer influence that impairs their own self interest. Allowing your teen to engage in activities that promote joy, exploration and connection, both in and out of school, and celebrating their successes will help them identify their strengths and build a higher self esteem. Spending time as a family talking about their feelings and experiences throughout the day is also beneficial as it provides them with a safe space to talk about challenges they may have faced, and normalises conversations around their feelings.
There are many resources and services available to assist if you have concerns around your student and anxiety towards school. If you would like any further information regarding these supports, or would like some assistance from the school, please contact either your students House Co-ordinator, or one of the following school counsellors.
RTP Coordinator - Edward Keogh
Responsible Thinking Program
As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance communication and transparency regarding student behaviour management, we are implementing new procedures that we believe will streamline our processes and keep you better informed about your child's progress.
SMS Notifications for RTC Visits: This term, we have been sending SMS notifications to parents whenever a student has been referred to the RTC (Responsible Thinking Classroom). This notification serves as an initial update to keep you informed promptly. We encourage you to discuss the incident directly with your child or reach out to their classroom teacher for more information. This step aims to foster open dialogue between home and school, ensuring that you are well-informed about any behaviour-related matters.
Email Notifications for Plan Completion: Additionally, if your child is still working on their plan, you will receive an email notification from us. Please note that this email is primarily for your awareness, and there is no need to respond.
Feedback Encouraged: Your feedback is invaluable to us. We welcome both positive and constructive feedback on these new processes. Your insights will help us continually improve our communication. Please send your feedback to me directly at Edward_keogh@rok.catholic.edu.au.
These updates are designed to enhance our partnership with you in supporting your child's overall development and well-being. We believe that clear and consistent communication is essential in creating a supportive environment for all our students.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we implement these new processes. Should you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out.
News from the College
Cross Stitch Club
Sitting quietly in a classroom through a lunch break, you can find some St Patrick’s students participating in the cross stitch club. This offers a creative and relaxing break from their academic routine, allowing members to learn and practice stitching techniques, share patterns and ideas, and create small, beautiful handmade pieces. Cross stitching develops fine motor skills as well as teaching patience and perseverance. It's a supportive and social environment where students can bond over a shared interest, enhancing their skills and fostering a sense of community. All welcome to attend, held every Thursday during first break.
Whitsunday Voices Poetry Slam - Ashling Scanlon
This year I was fortunate enough to be an entrant in the Whitsunday Voices Poetry Slam Competition. The first part involved attending a poetry workshop with Australian Slam Champion Joel McKerrow, and was a great experience in understanding what I wanted from my writing. My fellow contestants were really encouraging and there was a real effort to make sure we all made something we were proud to present.
As for the day itself, it was amazing. I spent most of it rehearsing with Mr Andric and I never really got sick of the words, because it was something I had written and cared about deeply repeating and frankly I felt so grateful to just be a part of the process.
I can't recommend it enough to be honest. While winning was great, I think that being sat in that front row watching kids I knew scared out of their minds and still able to get up there and preform was one of the best parts. You’ll come off that stage shaking but your fellow competitors might just clap louder than anyone else for you.
Ashling Scanlon.
National Wheelchair Basketball League - Zac Uhr
Year 12 student Zac Uhr has recently made his debut playing professionally for the Queensland based Southern Districts Spartans in the National Wheelchair Basketball League. Zac is a valuable high pointer and shooter for the team and has developed his skills over the last two months. Zac also captains the local Mackay Wheelchair Basketball team.
Zac co-captained Queensland in the Kevin Coombs Cup National Wheelchair Basketball competition and averaged 15 points per game.
In February this year, Zac travelled to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in an emerging Australian Rollers Camp. Zac has been invited to attend the Australian Spinners U23 Junior Men’s Selection Camp for the 2025 World Championships in Canberra held at the AIS in Canberra in September.
Oxford Royale Academy Speech - Evelyn O'Brien
Imagine another world. 13th century architecture, hallowed halls, 2-weeks at an Oxford Royale Academy summer school in England studying law and politics at Cambridge University, it has been the BEST 2 weeks of my life!
The course promised the time of your life! Learning, discovery & knowledge from thought-provoking lecturers, on the campuses of the world leading and oldest universities. Stimulating seminars, masterclasses, lively debates, inspirational venues, fascinating places, broadened perspectives, hands-on workshops, real case studies… with the added bonus of new friendships, parties, excursions, a formal grade and certificate and a graduation ceremony. And why, of course, to achieve your dreams and ambitions and to find your true calling in life.
In Year 10, July 2022, I went on the school bus to Townsville to the JCU open week, a trip some of you will have just returned from. I wanted to see, touch and feel what university looked like, it gave me the realisation that university was absolutely my next step after school, and it confirmed for me that my grade 11 and 12 years were my ticket there. It was soon after this trip that I chose my senior subjects and set my sights on studying law at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, my goal was and still is an Atar of 99. My preference is to study a Bachelor of Humanities / Bachelor of Law (Honors) at UQ, in 2025 this is where you will find me.
To get there I’ve spent the last two years cultivating a CV to give myself the best opportunity to see my dream realised. What I didn’t know when I set out on cultivating the above skills, was what other doors these skills might open for me.
In November 2023 my dad showed me an ad he had seen on his Facebook feed, an ad for a program called Oxford Royale. I was intrigued so I jumped onto the website to find out more, the first sentence read “discover new passions and skills through our award-winning programmes, experience student life on the campuses of the UK’s most prestigious universities”. I was instantly hooked, and I would do whatever it took to travel to the other side of the world, for an experience I could only have dreamt of.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Zonta for their sponsorship, and financial support which helped me to find the courage for taking this trip.
The next six months were filled with juggling a full timetable of school work (Atar of 99 is the goal), extra curricula sport and dance, a part-time job, youth council programs and family time - it was busy to say the least and at times stressful, however I would do it all over again for the two weeks I spent in Cambridge.
Cambridge is the second top-ranked university in the world, so competitive that there is a 20% acceptance rate into the university. It is the third oldest in the world, over 500 years older than our own country and is renowned around the world for its world-class original research and outstanding academic achievement.
On Sunday 30th June – we arrived at Clare College my accommodation for the next 2 weeks. Clare College was founded in 1326, making it the second oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college has a reputation for liberalism and inclusivity and was among the first three colleges in Cambridge to admit female students in 1972, and the most famous person to have boarded at Clare was Sir David Attenborough.
On day one, I received my welcome pack and room key, we headed off to our rooms – the first person I met was Marissa, my roommate who is from Madrid, Spain. She was there to study medicine.
Later, we all congregated on the grounds of Clare feeling nervous, and to be honest, as a girl from Mackay North Queensland, a little bit out of my depth. I plucked up the courage to introduce myself to Ingrid from Spain studying architecture and Luiza from Brazil studying engineering. Whilst many of us were initially nervous, we were all excited to be there. We either had a passion for the subject they had chosen, or others were keen to explore a different career path.
Over the course of the next 2 weeks I would meet students from around the world; North America, France, Brazil, Romania, Hong Kong, Scotland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Dubai, Singapore and Turkey. There were also 3 other Australians from Sydney; two studying the law and politics and the third medicine.
I formed a close friendship with Ella from Denmark, Margot from France, Ioana from Romania, Balim and Ekin from Turkey – a friendship I will cherish for the rest of my life. This group of girls helped make this learning experience worth every ounce of effort to get there. The connections, their friendship and support were so great and powerful, that I cannot wait to see them all again sometime in the future.
On the first day of classes, we met our teacher, Helen Tung, an impressive individual and an incredible teacher. Helen was born and raised in Australia, before then moving to Hong Kong and then studying at Cambridge. Helen began her career as a barrister in the UK and has worked around the world as an international lawyer, mentor and legal advisor. Helen’s teaching style included relatable stories from her own experiences and from those of her colleagues and friends from around the world. As a student this shed a new light on the topics and discussions we had during class. Helen had sat in on the Princess Diana inquest, she is friends with the speech writer for the Japanese President, friends with a legal adviser of the South Korea president and was mentored by one of the UK’s supreme court judges. Having the experience to be taught by Helen was a unique opportunity; she was so sweet and caring and on the first day she said to us that ‘she is not happy unless we were’. It became very apparent that Helen wanted those two weeks to be filled with incredible learning and experiences that we would cherish, remember and re-tell for the rest of our lives.
The experience of class at Oxford Royal Academy were different to classes here at school. Initially, we would attend a lecture class to learn the knowledge principles, we would then apply our knowledge in groups to either hypothetical situations, or we would examine real-world examples. Group discussion and collaboration were key. Aside from the intriguing work, what made this experience so much more enlightening, was the input from international students who would compare the UK’s legal system to their countries own legal and governmental systems, offering the opportunity for us all to learn a little about the wider world. Exploring legal topics with people who have all grown up in different parts of the world provided a board perspective to everything we learnt. Learning about Poland’s justice system, Italy’s government process, Austria’s criminal law, France’s political parties, and of course a great deal about the UK’s legal and political systems and structure.
It wasn’t all class time and assignments, as senior students we were given the freedom each day after classes to do as we pleased. Most days, my friends and I would go into the town of Cambridge, and go shopping, to the park, to have dinner at a restaurant, to sight-see and often we would catch up with others to hang out, outside of the campus. This freedom allowed for us, over these two weeks, to have that complete university student experience.
Towards the end of the two weeks, we were required to complete a written assessment and 2 practical assignments that we were graded on.
The first practical assignment was a whole class mock trial, and I was fortunate to be selected as 1 of 4 barristers on the defence council. After a rigorous day of examining the evidence, planning an effective argument to defend our ‘client’ then came the process of the trial and delivering our argument.
The jury had found our defendant not guilty, failure to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, we had won the case! The entire day was incredibly exciting, each of us had the opportunity to play a role and understand the process of the court system. Playing a defence barrister allowed me to have a first-hand experience of the excitement and thrill that comes with being a criminal lawyer, and I absolutely loved having the chance to display my skills.
On the final class day, we had a challenge day, where we held a political election within the class. Splitting into groups we nominated a candidate for Prime Minister, created a political party, developed a manifesto and wrote a campaign speech to mimic the election process. This was a day where we let our creativity run wild. The day was filled with competitiveness, strategy and laughter, and to say the least, there was no better way to say farewell to the classroom and our teachers.
Over the two weeks, I felt myself becoming more and more comfortable and confident around my peers. As the classes progressed, friends would come to me for guidance in debating activities, or help on the written assignments. I led the defence counsel in the mock trial, and I nominated as my team’s candidate for Prime Minister on the challenge day.
I remember on Day One, I was afraid I would be out of my depth; that I had dreamed too big for who I was. Yet by the end of the two weeks, I realised that this classroom was exactly where I was supposed to be, and I was more than capable of applying myself and excelling in that environment. I am proud to say that I received a final mark of 97%, and I received the Academic Award for my class; meaning I topped the Law and Politics Oxford Royal Cambridge 2024 class.
This experience was a once in a lifetime. I feel blessed to have attended the course and I feel I was so fortunate to have received the award in recognition of my contribution. I know for a fact I was not the smartest in my cohort, I can name five other students who were smarter than me in that room and who would often completely blow away the teaching staff with their brilliance. I do feel what set me apart was my genuine love of learning, my openness and acceptance of others, my generous nature to share my time and my complete ability to embrace the experience – from fear to joy!
These things I learnt right here in my hometown. Mackay is a town rich in talent, we see this on the sporting fields and courts, on athletic tracks, in swimming pools, in music and the arts, in the STEM challenges, literary competitions even Siri. I was reminded of these impressive individuals on my arrival home as I walked through the arrival gate at the Mackay Airport.
The success that I found here in Mackay and overseas has proven to me that so many of you, sitting in this room, have the effort, skills and talent; you can and will excel on an international stage. I want to ask that every one of you consider what your future could look like internationally.
My dream for my future looks like an Honors Bachelor in Humanities and Law from UQ and master’s degree from Cambridge University. If you have a passion for education, and a love of learning, do consider studying at a prestigious university. Oxford Royale offered an experience of a lifetime, and I was able walk away proud of who I am, holding that award in my hand, knowing that everything I had done over the past two years led me to that course, and that course will hopefully lead me on to my dreams.
Employment Opportunity
Job Vacancy - Administration Assistant
𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄! Applications are invited for the position of 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 to join the staff of St Patrick's College Year 7-12 Mackay. 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘 - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/CER1028 Applications close Monday, 5 August 2024.
