For the 77,150 students who sat at least one HSC subject and the 68,816 who were awarded the certificate on Thursday, the wait is almost over. The HSC marks are in and at midday Friday the ATARs will be announced.
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For thousands of young Australians, it’s the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. For them, the transition to adulthood is well under way.
Locally, we congratulate Nowra High’s Rohan Sims (pictured), who placed equal first in German Beginners. Rohan has been on our radar for some time as we’ve watched his passion for language blossom and shared his adventures, including an exchange placement in Germany.
His academic achievements over the years has been breathtaking. He is fluent in five languages, has won a scholarship and picked up awards.
Incredibly, much of his linguistic achievement has been self taught, via YouTube, apps and books.
We are all inspired by him and very proud.
Likewise, we mightily impressed by the region’s high achievers, those who excelled in their subjects and attained bands 6 and 5.
The HSC is a long, hard slog and the application to study and academic achievement displayed by students from throughout the region has yielded great results.
It has also earned candidates a well-deserved break before they go on to pursue further study or vocational training.
Some students might not have achieved the results they wanted but they should not despair. There are many avenues into further education and plenty of examples of people who didn’t do well in the HSC but went on to achieve great things in further study and their careers.
As with any achievement, there are heroes in the background who also deserve praise.
There are the teachers who have guided their students through their school years, educating them not just in the subjects but in life in general. There would be few among us who could not remember a teacher who was a lasting influence in our adult lives.
There are the parents and guardians, who have been there to offer support and calming words during a highly stressful time, and the siblings who have already completed the HSC who were there with guidance and encouragement.
The old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”, applies also to education. So, as a community, we should be proud of what the class of 2017 has achieved.
