Alumni News

On Thursday 27 July, St John's past student Yasiru Karunaratne was invited to speak at the College Assembly celebrating Learning and Achievement. 

Yasiru Karunaratne was College Dux for the Graduating Class of 2012.

In 2011, while in Year 11 Yasiru was awarded a Monash Scholars prize and was a St John's Regional College Scholarship recipient.

In 2013, Yasiru was offered a Women in Engineering Bursary at Monash University, to recognise her academic excellence in VCE Studies.

Yasiru is currently in her final year at Monash University, studying a double degree in Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science. She is completing a major in Chemical Engineering for her engineering degree and majoring in Mathematics and Chemistry for her science degree. She is an active member of the Society of Monash University Chemical Engineers (SMUCE) and has participated in the Monash Minds Leadership Program and Engineering Professional Development Program.

She is a student member of IChemE, Engineers Australia and Engineers without Borders.

Outside of University she studies Sri Lankan Traditional Dancing and performed her traditional 'Kali Eli Mangallaya' and graduated as a professional dancer in July 2014. She performs regularly at community events, concerts, entertainment events and charity events. In addition she enjoys choreographing and performing in her free time.

This was her speech to our community:

Good morning staff and students,

Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. Bourbon for reaching out and inviting me to speak today at such an important event where we celebrate exemplary achievement. It was not long ago that I was sitting where you are sitting here today, thinking about my future and what I wanted to do with my life.

My excitement about life beyond high school sparked even more, every single time we had past pupils come in and share their experiences because I felt that I could relate to someone who had been in my shoes not so long ago. So that is what I am going to do today. Share my experiences and hopefully encourage you to think about what your future might hold.

I began Year 7 at St. John’s ten years ago in 2007. During my time at school I took every opportunity to learn as much as I could and extend my knowledge. I developed strong relationships with my teachers and took my learning very seriously. Something that I regret not doing was exploring my leadership potential which I only really discovered quite recently.

Leadership is something that you’ll hear more and more about as you go through university and it’s a skill that is imperative when you begin your professional career so I would encourage all of you to really keep that skill at the forefront of your mind. I finished up year 12 in 2012 and in 2013, I commenced my five-year Bachelor’s double degree at Monash University in Engineering and Science. Back then, I had absolutely no clue what engineers did and the only reason why I chose engineering was because I loved maths, dreaded the thought of writing essays and it sounded pretty cool.

Absolutely nothing in this world could have prepared me for what I had coming next. My first year at university was a nightmare and I think it’s fair to say that it was one of the most difficult years of my life. One of the things that I took for granted during my time at High school was the fact that I got to see my friends every single day. I grew close to a lot of people in my cohort during my final 2 years of school and so I had a lot of people to talk to and collaborate with when it came to studying and so it was hard for me to adjust to university life where you get quite a bit of time to yourself.

During my first year of university I met new people every day and then never saw them ever again because they would either drop out or change courses. I went from being a big fish in a small pond to a tiny fish in a very big pond. I also found it difficult to understand the concepts that we were learning and struggled to keep up. Because I didn’t really talk to anyone it seemed like everyone else around me understood what was going on and I was the only one feeling lost. So I began to question whether I had selected the right course and if I really could get through the next five years of my life doing engineering.

I also began to doubt my capabilities. Although I was really struggling, deep down I kind of liked the challenge and being kept on my toes because it was something that I had never felt before. I kept pushing myself through that year and although it was hard, I got through in the end. In 2013, I discovered that I enjoyed being challenged and pushed outside my comfort zone.        

After that first year, university became easier. I made a new group of friends and I adapted to the fast-paced university lifestyle. I am now in my final semester of university and will be starting full time work next year.

Although it was hard at first, I believe that choosing to study engineering has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only has it helped me grow and develop as a person, it has also set me up for professional success and enhanced my employability because as it is, STEM students meaning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students are currently the most sought-after graduates.  

Why? Because by completing a degree in the field of STEM you are essentially making it known to potential employers that you are capable of understanding and breaking down complex problems, extending your mind and dealing with ambiguity.

As a STEM student, you develop a logical thought process and become very objective when making decisions. All of these skills are essential in the professional world and can be applied to any job. And that is one of the many advantages of being a STEM student. You are given the flexibility to go into any field and don’t necessarily have to transition into a STEM related area.

I was recently offered a graduate job by ANZ which I politely declined. I asked them why they would select me over a commerce graduate who knows more about the world of banking. The hiring manager told me that he can teach someone about banking in no time but he can’t teach someone how to think. I may be biased but I believe that engineers and professionals in the field of STEM are at the forefront of our changing world. If you enjoy maths, problem solving and love a good challenge, I recommend that you have a look into STEM related degrees.

So I thought I’d end of with some tips and tricks for those of you who are in the midst of VCE. I know that it can get tough at times and I also know that it can sometimes feel like you’ve got a ton of things to do and so little time. My advise to you, is to stay on top of things and be as organised as you can. It’s ok to fall behind, because sometimes that just happens for all sorts of reasons but you need to ensure that you catch up and get back on track before it gets out of hand.

Another important thing to remember is that you’re not going through this alone, so I encourage you to stick together and help each other out. A lot of the time, if you can explain something to someone else it goes to show that you’ve actually learnt it properly. For those of you in Year 9 and 10, it’s a good time to start thinking about what your strengths are and what subjects you enjoy the most.

The most important piece of advice that I can give you is to choose your subjects wisely because I have seen firsthand what happens when someone selects subjects that they don’t enjoy. For those of you in Year 7 and 8, this is the perfect time to explore all of your options and learn as much as you can. If you put in the effort now and create a strong foundation of knowledge and good study habits, VCE will be a lot easier.

We are all very privileged to live in a country where education is so easily accessible. I encourage all of you to keep an open mind and grasp all the opportunities that come your way. Always remember that you make your own future. Thank you for your attention and I wish each one of you all the very best.