2024 DUX SPEECH: 

WILLIAM GILCHRIST

Good Evening Mrs Haeusler, staff, students, family and special guests. My name is William Gilchrist and I am honoured to be back at MacKillop to speak to you all tonight. The most common thing that you will hear from past students, whether they were the biggest bookworm or simply at school to socialise, is that “your ATAR doesn't matter after Year 12”. While I would love to disagree and defend my choice to study so much, I must admit there is some truth to this. Don’t be fooled however, I am not saying that your hard work in Year 12 goes unnoticed - you are most definitely rewarded for the effort you put in. Rather, I believe that this is true because beyond high school, whether you head to uni, take a break from learning, or join the workforce, everybody eventually finds something that challenges and motivates them, regardless of their VCE results. 

Out of high school, I continue to be a shadow of my older sister and enrolled in the same uni as her to study the same course she did - that is a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. While I may still be adjusting to the lack of structure found in high school, I feel so fulfilled by my course and am motivated to continue studying for what may be many more years in the pursuit of a career in healthcare.

Although I may be biased, I believe that Year 12 is one of the greatest experiences we get to share. Looking back, it is insane to think how we would all go to school every day, continue studying at home, work part-time, play sport, and most importantly, never, ever miss an 18th. It is so true that Year 12 is a bonding experience. Such strong connections can be formed from the mutual hatred of a subject, or from the mass panic before a SAC - connections that I know will last for years to come. I am also extremely grateful for the peers that I went through high school with and can’t imagine that I would have enjoyed my time at MacKillop so much if it weren’t for them. I was lucky to be surrounded by friends who were just as ambitious as I was, allowing us to lean on each other throughout the year. I also want to recognise the incredible staff that I had the pleasure of knowing in my time here. I would like to thank the VCE teachers that pushed me through to the end, as well as the teachers and support staff along the way that sparked my ambition to get to where I am today. 

Finally, I would like to leave you with a reminder to cherish the time you have left with each other. No matter how much you hate it now, you will definitely miss it once it’s over, so fight to the finish line and then celebrate accordingly. I wish you all the best as you await your results and hope that you enjoy whatever comes next. Thank you.