Year 12 High Achievers Breakfast

Thomas Durkin, a sixth year Fogarty Foundation Scholarship student at the University of Western Australia was the guest speaker at our recent Year 12 High Achievers' Breakfast.

Tom is currently studying Law through UWA's Juris Doctor Program. In 2014 he completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and Political Science & International Relations.

Over the three years of his undergraduate degree Tom worked extensively with Ignite Mentoring.

This included as General Manager and volunteering as a classroom mentor. Tom acted as Pre-Law Director of the Blackstone Law Society, Vice-President of the UWA Debating Union and volunteered for Teach Learn Grow and Eddie Rice Camps for Kids. 

Tom's main focus of the presentation was how to achieve a balance between school and study.

He stressed that it is important to do something you really enjoy, especially when choosing activities out of school and subjects for upper school.

The opportunities to travel and study abroad through exchange were also highlighted by the photos that Tom shared.

The main points from Tom's presentation were:

• Surround yourself with mentors
• Involve yourself in issues you care deeply about
• Work your hard!
• Don't be scared to ask for help
• Be organised and plan ahead
• Your ATAR is not the end of the world
• Try and have a rough plan, though don't be held hostage to it
• Be passionate and have fun!
• "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken" - Oscar Wilde

The students then moved to the Hospitality Room, where the Year 12 Certificate II in Hospitality students served a delicious breakfast.

The Hospitality students had planned the menu and cooked the food as part of their certificate course.

It was a very successful celebration with another Year 12 High Achievers' Breakfast planned for second term.

Catherine Smith

Careers