Alumni Program
Koonung Secondary College
ALUMNI NEWS
A huge congratulations to James Panchmatia (Class of 2025) whose artwork 'So many stories you’ll just never hear’ is currently on display at the Museum of Australian Photography as part of their yearly Top Shots exhibition. This exhibition celebrates emerging photographers who have recently completed their studies in VCE, VET and IB.
James’ work was selected from hundreds of entries from across the state of Victoria, becoming one of 12 finalists in this exhibition. His work, and others, were celebrated at a formal opening ceremony on the 17th of March, where judging panellists Anouska Phizacklea (Director of MAPh) and Morganna Magee (Photographer and guest judge) commended the calibre of the students’ works and their contributions to the Australian Arts.
Here’s what James has said of his work:
“Observing society in both individual and collective senses through an architectural lens, the buildings we as people inhabit and live with are employed as a metaphor for all the unique lives throughout our society and how said lives impact the environments: specifically, via the structures that are constructed and inhabited. Each window marking a story of what exists within; every photograph is a vignette of a human experience and how it has shaped the world around it, both in the personal and environmental aspects. A story may be faintly seen but never fully heard.”
Top Shots 2026 runs from 11 March – 4 May at MAPh, 860 Ferntree Gully Rd, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150.
ALUMNI NEWS
We recently caught up with Judy Ahmed (Class of 2025) and asked her about her favourite memories of her time at Koonung, study tips for our Year 12 students and what she will be doing this year.
"Some of my favourite memories from Koonung are connecting with my peers and teachers and forming strong friendships that continue on even after high school. Being able to have meaningful conversations as well as have a good time with them was super important in maintaining a good balance between my social life and school life and in having a good support system throughout VCE.
My first study tip would be to always ask questions. If there is ever content you are struggling with, ask your friends, ask your classmates who might not be your friends, and then go and ask your teachers. The best way to learn is by asking questions and talking about the content. When you seek out answers from as many people as possible it allows you to receive many different types of explanations. And you might find one that finally sticks with you.
My second study tip is to learn to use AI in an ethical way. Many of you will already be using AI chatbots, however most of you will not be using it in a way that aids your learning. The best way to use AI is by asking it to explain certain concepts in a simpler way first in order for you to understand and then asking it to expand to further your knowledge on the topic. You can even enter a document of the content you are studying and request it to generate questions or quizzes in order to test your learning which can help you prepare for a test/sac or even an exam. Asking Chatgpt to write your assignment is not going to help you in the long run, instead learn to use it in a way that makes learning easier and more enjoyable.
This year I will be studying a Bachelor of Medical Radiation (Nuclear Medicine) at RMIT."
ALUMNI NEWS
We were excited to welcome back a panel of alumni from the Class of 2025 on Wednesday 18 March.
They shared valuable tips, study techniques, and personal insights with our current Year 12 students to help them navigate exam preparation and make the most of their final year.
It was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn from those who had recently been in their shoes. We loved hearing their advice.
ALUMNI: WE WOULD LOVE TO FEATURE YOU IN AN ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT.
Koonung Secondary College alumni spotlights showcase the various pathways our alumni have taken since graduating from Koonung and the professions they are currently pursuing.
We feature these on our school website (image below), in our school newsletter, and on our social media pages (with your prior approval, of course).
If you’d like to get involved, please email our Alumni Program Coordinator at alumni@koonung.vic.edu.au OR complete the online ‘Alumni Spotlight’ form HERE.
ARE YOU AN ALUMNI OF KOONUNG?
If you are a Koonung alumni (went to or graduated from Koonung Secondary College), we would love you to join our alumni program. It's FREE to join.
FOLLOW THE ALUMNI PROGRAM ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
ARE YOU AN ALUMNI ON LinkedIn?
If so, we’d love you to please update the education section of your LinkedIn profile to include the correct Koonung Secondary College LinkedIn page. Our college LinkedIn page now includes an ‘alumni’ tab, and once you've added Koonung Secondary College to the education section of your personal profile, you will be added to the alumni stats on our official LinkedIn page. We'd be so grateful for this! See image below for reference.
KOONUNG PARTNERS WITH OURSCHOOL TO DELIVER ALUMNI PROGRAM
The alumni program at Koonung Secondary College is part of a broader, not-for-profit program called Ourschool (https://ourschool.net.au/).
Ourschool helps government secondary schools build thriving alumni networks to benefit current students and school communities. Koonung began it's partnership with Ourschool in 2022.
Click on the link below to view a video of the Ourschool CEO talking about the program.
CONTACT US.
Koonung Secondary College
Alumni Program - Nancy Manders