Year 12 2022 Alumni

Year 12 Dress up Day

This year the Year 12 students dressed up as what they would like to be in the future. 

Staff also dressed up in school uniform for the day. 

It was great to see everyone having fun with the idea. Prizes were given out for the best dressed.

Year 12 Last Day

Year 12 last day was Wednesday 19th October. The day started with a breakfast barbecue cooked and served by the Year 12 teachers. 

Following the breakfast bbq was the final assembly for Year 12 students,  where the rest of the school farewelled the "Class of 2022".

Always an emotional assembly but one that, after two years interrupted by Covid, we were extremely happy to be able to hold.

Good luck Class of 2022!

Valedictory Dinner

The year 12 Valedictory dinner was held on Wednesday 19th October. 

It was a great night celebrating our students and their achievements. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Mornington Secondary College wish you every success in whatever path you choose to follow in life. 

Thank you to all of the staff who presented on the night and everyone who worked hard behind the scenes to make sure that night was the smooth running success that it was.

Special guest speaker

Mornington Secondary College was very fortunate to have Keisha Nash, an alumni from the class of 2013, speak at our Year 12 Valedictory dinner held on Wednesday 19th October.

Keisha spoke of her journey to becoming a doctor and the unorthodox route she ended up taking. She spoke of the disappointment of not achieving the ATAR required and how she overcame this and other personal hurdles to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.

She showed that if you really want something and have the determination to work hard, anything is possible.

Keisha's speech was inspirational and hopefully rang true for our Year 12 students about to sit their final exams.

Thank you Keisha for sharing your story with us and inspiring our Year 12 student to dare to dream.

Below is a copy of Keisha's speech.

"Good evening

My name is Keisha, and I am a former Mornington Secondary College alumna of the class of 2013. 

Firstly, congratulations to the class of 2022! 

I feel honoured to be here to speak to you all today, to not only share my journey, but to celebrate the amazing achievements of the 2022 graduating class. 

9 years ago, I was sitting where you are all sitting, at my own valedictory. It may sound cliché; however, it truly does feel like it happened yesterday. I remember at the time feeling mixed emotions of excitement to having completed 13 years of formal education, however also feeling nervous for the journey ahead. 

Currently, I am working on the peninsula as a junior medical doctor; however, my journey has not always been smooth sailing. I hope that if I could only share one key message with you tonight- it is that there will always be pathways to get you to where you want to be, and to never give up on your dream. 

I remember feeling devastated when I first opened my ATAR score and saw a number that was well below the entry requirements needed to get into any of my course preferences for university. This was particularly disappointing as I wanted to be a geneticist at the time and was aiming to one day complete a PhD. 

I called my top preference university and asked career advisors if there were pathways into my chosen course of the Bachelor of Science. As a result, I completed a 6-month bridging course called ‘the enabling program’, which allowed me to transition into my second semester of my first year of university. During my undergraduate studies I also completed internships at research institutes to gain more experience in the field of medical research. I quickly learnt that a career solely in research did not suit me, and I felt back at square one again, wondering what I was going to do next. 

In 2018, I was fortunate to be accepted into the Doctor of Medicine as a postgraduate student. I loved what I was learning, and this helped reassure me that I had finally found the right course and career for me. In particular, I loved the combination of the theory learned in classes, whilst also using procedural skills. 

Furthermore, I was also able to travel to rural locations during medical school and completed remote placements on my mother’s home of Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. It was this experience that solidified my current dream of working between metropolitan Melbourne, as well as in the Torres Strait as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. There are times I wish I could travel back in time and tell my past self that everything was going to be okay. 

Whilst I often look back at my journey with rose coloured glasses, there were many times where I had encountered failure, and self-doubt. However, through determination, as well as the love and support of those around me, I was able to overcome these obstacles. 

For those sitting exams, I wish you the very best of luck over the upcoming weeks. You have all worked incredibly hard, and I hope you are all happy with your results. However, I just wanted to remind you, that your ATAR score does not define you. This is a sentiment that has been passed on over the years, and when I was graduating, I did not fully believe it myself. However, as I take time to reflect on this statement, I realise there are many different pathways to fulfil your dreams. In 2013, I received an ATAR of 63.64, and honestly did not think that I would be where I am today. I hope that no one here has this moment of self-doubt, however no matter what happens, please remember that you can do anything. 

You all have wonderful and bright futures ahead, and everyone present tonight will have their own unique journey. Life will throw many curveballs, and your journey may not always be linear. For many of us, this may present as multiple career changes, or even changes in university course. For others it may present as other big life decisions. However, your education, alongside the support of your teachers, family, and friends, has equipped you all with the necessary tools to excel no matter where your path takes you. 

I would like to thank you all for the privilege of speaking tonight and wish the class of 2022 the best of luck with your all your future endeavours. Most of all- don’t forget to ‘dare to dream!’.

Thank you. "