Interview with Mark Lueth Aleu

Born in Sudan, Mark Lueth Aleu arrived in Australia in 2011 having never spoken English. He went to an Intensive Language Centre for 2 months in Perth. Mid year, they moved to Melbourne, where he was told he could not do VCE. Despite this, he was awarded an Excellence Award for academic achievement in EAL – English, and an Endeavor Award for recognition of consistent academic rigor and persistence in Mathematics Methods.

Again, mid-year, they moved from Wyndham to Melton. He commuted the rest of the year to finish out year 11. In 2014, he finally enrolled at Staughton College for year 12. Here, he took Biology, Chemistry, English, Further Maths, and Maths Method. He had difficulty in classes because of all the gaps in his education. It took him longer to finish his work, but not once did we see Mark waiver from his dedication. He even went on an excursion to the University of Melbourne, where he participated and won First Prize in the Melbourne University Mathematical Society Problem Solving Competition.

Aside from graduating with a VCE certificate from Staughton College in 2014, Mark also graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science last week from Federation University in Ballarat.

If you could change or improve anything about your time in high school, what would it be?

If I could change anything, it would be to work harder, stay focused, and try my best to help other people that need my help.

What influence you to choose biomedical science? What is your end goal?

I like Science and exploring this field interests me. The goal is to one day go to medical school.

Which university subject did you like best? Why?

I liked Chemistry because it was challenging. I like to challenge myself.

What's the most important life lesson university has taught you?

Working hard and never giving up will take you a long way. Always submit every assignment no matter what the obstacle. When the pressure is at its greatest, that’s when I seem to do well.

What advice would you give to all the students entering VCE or VCAL?Try your absolute best through the whole year. If you are aspiring to do further studies, working hard in high school will get you into the routine which will make university a little easier for you.

Mark is currently doing his Honours at Fed Uni, and we wish him the very best of luck in all his future endeavors.