2022 DUX SPEECH: 

ISABELLA GILCHRIST

Good evening everyone, thanks for having me, it’s great to be back. 

First of all, congratulations to everyone receiving an award tonight. You have all worked very hard and it is great to see it pay off. Congratulations also to the year 12 students who received their final results today. It is an exciting time to see years of hard work come together and I wish you all the best with university applications and offers in the coming weeks. Year 12 is an extremely challenging year and requires grit and dedication and I hope this was reflected in your marks. Whether your results aligned with your expectations or weren’t quite what you were hoping for, know that this is just the beginning. The course that you enrol in does not have to be the one you graduate from and there are many pathways into any career. A final congratulations to Charlotte Angus, this years dux, well done Charlotte, very well deserved. 

The final year of high school presents challenges, yet it's equally fulfilling. It flies by in the blink of an eye so utilise the resources given to you by teachers and make the most of every moment with your friends. It is a year of immense growth and discovery with the rewards stretching far beyond academic results. I encourage all students to work hard but take care of yourself, seek help when needed and refrain from comparing yourself to others. I wasted too much time worrying about the expectations other people had of me that my own goals got lost along the way. You are not a failure if you do not get the highest score or get into the most prestigious course, everyone has their own timelines and if you invest time and effort into your goals, success will soon follow. 

It is easy to believe that year 12 is the be all and end all - I definitely did, but after commencing my first year of university, it became very clear that there is a lot more to year 12 than the number you get at the end. Looking back, it is not the endless hours of study I remember most but the times spent laughing in the common room with my friends and teachers and I look back with regret that I didn’t pause and realise how great it was. Your ATAR will not be on your tombstone so enjoy year 12 and do not base your worth on a number. 

Since graduating, I have been studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. I was not one of those people that knew exactly what they wanted to do so figured I would buy myself a few more years before I decided on a career. I am still unsure of my career path. The idea of choosing something to do for the rest of my life is daunting but I am slowly finding the things I love and am hoping to pursue postgraduate studies in dentistry, optometry or something else health based. I am loving the opportunities that living in the city provides despite missing my friends and family and am loving having everything I could ever need only a tram away. This year I lived at St Mary’s College in Parkville where I have met the most amazing people from all over Australia and the world.

I would like to thank my year 12 teachers as well as all the staff at MacKillop for making my time here so enjoyable and always having faith in me, I wouldn’t be up here if it wasn’t for you. I wish future year 12s the very best with your studies and encourage you to embrace the challenges and work hard towards your goals. It isn’t the scores that matter when you open your results at the end of the year, but how hard you worked to get there and you should be proud of yourself regardless of the number you see on the screen. Finally, enjoy this time with your peers, soon enough you will all be in different corners of the globe, pursuing all kinds of passions.

Thank you