ALUMNI UPDATES
WAVERLEY GENERATIONS (WS)
This year, on the first day for Prep students, we witnessed three of our Alumni dropping off their children in Prep! So exciting to see the next generations from our Alumni starting off on their own Waverley Christian College journey!
From left to right;
Elissa Tan (McColl) (Class of '95) with daughter Caitlin McColl; Paul Chew (Class of '98 - leaving in '95) with son Joshua Chew; Felicia Koh (Lou) (Class of '97) with Son Jesse Lou.
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JENNIFER FUIMAONO - 2019 VCE TOP ARTIST (NWS)
Jennifer Fuimaono (Class of '19) was shortlisted for the National Gallery of Victoria’s VCE Top Arts exhibition has her name and school published on the NGV Top Arts web page. It is great honour to have the NGV place her folio in the top 100, of all state VCE Art and Studio Art applicants.
Her folio was also one of 23 VCE folios chosen from all schools in the City of Casey, to be exhibited in the EMERGENT exhibition at Bunjil Place studio.
You can view her artist statement about this project here.
The exhibition ran for two weeks, from the end of February. Thank you to the very talented Jade Wong, who assisted with Jennifer’s application for both exhibitions by taking quality photos.
Mrs Jasna Fletcher (Visual Arts Teacher)
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AMY MAGRATH - COLLEGE REFLECTION AND ADVICE
YEAR 12 2019 WANTIRNA SOUTH GRADUATE
What or who motivated you at Waverley Christian College?
There were many teachers who motivated me to study hard. All of my English teachers encouraged me and provided valuable feedback to me, which motivated me to keep going. All the Humanities teachers, especially my Legal Studies teacher, Miss Adamek, really motivated me to work hard. All that tough marking saw my marks improve considerably. It was encouraging to see the Humanities teachers believe in me and encourage me in only pursuing humanities subjects.
I also was motivated by my friends. I had an English study group and my Legal Studies Buddies (which almost had the same people in each group). These girls pushed me to do better and provided great insights and tough criticisms. This encouraged me to keep working hard and towards my goals.
I was supported so well by my family to aim for the score I wanted. With this encouragement, I set myself goals that other people thought were too high and I backed and believed in myself. I dreamt big and used that as motivation to do well. It paid off.
What goals did you set yourself when you finished at WCC and have you stuck to that plan?
As soon as I finished at WCC, my first goal was to have a relaxing break. I definitely was able to have a great break, not worrying about doing homework or what I would be doing with myself (knowing that I was going to university).
I set myself a goal of starting my own business, which I have stuck to and I am loving being my own boss!
At the moment, most of my goals are long term and study related, but I am working hard to make sure I get the grades I want so I can open up a variety of opportunities to extend and develop my education.
What drew you to your area of work or study this year, and what do you love about it?
I’m studying a Law/Arts degree this year. I’ve always loved to debate and explore why people think the way they do. I also think it’s so important as Christians to have a voice in the political arena. That really drew me to majoring in politics in my Arts degree. I chose to minor in History because I knew that it would really complement law and politics. I’ve always loved Humanities subjects because they teach us a lot about who we are, where we are and where we are going! Year 12 History was fascinating and helped me make my choice in picking between history and another subject as my minor. My History unit has probably been my favourite to study this semester because we have covered so many events that I have never heard of.
I’ve always been set on studying law at Monash. I first knew I was drawn to it when I was in Year 9. Going to the courts during City Experience was fascinating. I loved the traditions and formality about it, but I also loved the idea of fighting for what is just and right. Doing Legal Studies in Year 10/11 really solidified this for me – I had the best time and was particularly intrigued by studying the relationship between Parliament, the people and the courts. The foundations of law have been a highlight to study this year, looking into Australian and English history. Understanding precedents and applying them to cases has also been a challenging task, but it’s fun working with others and pretending we are lawyers!
What are some highlights your first year out so far?
A big highlight would be getting more involved in church. I’ve always been 100% involved, but I’m blessed to be able to speak and help in operating our online services. Through this I’ve been able to deepen a lot of my friendships and I’ve spent hours (in one case, over 5 hours on the phone) chatting to them on Zoom and Houseparty.
I also turned 18 this year! That was a massive highlight – I had a really beautiful day celebrating with my family and a small group of my friends.
Having three months of holidays was so amazing. I was able to spend lots of time at the beach and soak in the sun. It was such a relief to just do whatever I wanted to without thinking about VCE related content.
Another standout would be working. I took the leap and started my own business in February, tutoring students. This has been so rewarding. Being my own boss is a lot of fun and it has pushed me to develop my communication and computer skills!
What have been some of the biggest challenges that you have encountered?
I think online learning has been a big challenge. I love the flexibility of learning from home but it can be really hard to concentrate, especially as there is nothing stopping me from playing on my phone or skipping a class. But I’ve found that setting goals to complete each day and creating a form of structure has helped me navigate through these challenges.
It’s also been a bit challenging making new friends being online. Fortunately, there are a few people I know from WCC doing the same course as me. I am looking forward to meeting the other students in person once all the restrictions are lifted.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
The best advice I got was ‘do your best and God will do the rest.’
What excites you most about the future?
I’m excited about so many things, but mainly to be able to get a job in the law/government field one day. I’m looking forward to working hard, helping change the lives of people for the better and doing something I am passionate about!
What advice do you have for current students?
Just do your best and back yourself! The only person who can put pressure on you is you! You have the choice to listen to what other people expect of you, or you can listen to what you expect of yourself. Don’t be afraid of sacrificing things in order to study hard. You get three months after you finish to watch movies, go to the shops all day, etc. The amount of effort you put in will reflect in your score. In saying this, don’t forget to have fun! Year 12 can be the best year of your school life – form study groups with your friends (you will have the most hilarious discussions), don’t study at lunchtime and do try to see your teachers for feedback as much as possible!
Miss Amy Magrath (Class of 2019, WS)
BEATRICE CHEN - 2019 TOP DESIGNS EXHIBITION (WS)
The Melbourne Museum has opened the Top Designs exhibition online, so you can have a virtual tour through all the best Media, Art, Visual Communication, Food and Design work from 2019, including last year’s school captain, Beatrice Chen’s Media print zine. Congratulations Beatrice on this achievement. See Beatrice's work here.
Mrs Belinda Lynch (Media & English teacher)
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2018 - 2019 MARRIAGES
Wade Dekker (Class of '12) married Daniela Bradea on 17th November 2018. The bridal party included alumni Ryley Dekker, Todd Dekker (Class of '15) and Jordan Dekker (Class of '19).
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Nikita Chitapalli (Class of '13) married Joel Jaya on 13th July 2019. Also in Nikita's bridal party, pictured from left to right was Felina Adeloju (Class of '13), Chanel Rozairo (Class of '13), Caroline Murray (formally Mathew) (Class of '11) and Holly Butler (Class of '13).
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Eliza Purdie (Class of '14) married Aaron Lewis on 11th August 2019. The bridal party included Todd Dekker (Class of '15), Stephanie Caviedes (Class of '14), Stephanie Cuddon (Class of '14), Anthony Mercuri (Class of 2013) and Rachel Craddock (formerly Purdie) (Class of '10).
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OBITUARY
Coral Leigh
It is with sadness that I advise the school community of the passing of Coral Leigh on 13th May 2020. Coral was the wife of Stan Leigh, a former Chair of the College Council (1982 – 2003), and mother of Peter Leigh, current Chair of the College Council. Coral and Stan enrolled their three children in the College in 1979 when it was located in Vermont. They soon became actively involved in the life of the College and were instrumental in seeing the College become established in its early years.
Coral was a great supporter of the College. She volunteered as a parent helper for many years, providing literacy support for students and coordinating the Uniform Shop until she ‘retired’ in 1995. As well as her own children attending the College in its early years, Coral’s grandchildren also attended the College. Her youngest grandchildren are currently attending the Wantirna South Campus.
Coral’s association with the College spanned over 40 years. She had great compassion for people and invested much of her life in providing counsel to and support for many individuals. She was an amazing woman of God and a blessing to so many. Coral exemplified what it means to be a true and faithful servant of our Lord. Her love and sacrificial service for others were exceptional qualities, as was her capacity for work. As a young school principal, Coral was a continual source of encouragement to me, something she continued to provide throughout our 40 year association.
Coral has left an incredible legacy and will long be remembered for her pioneering spirit, her commitment, her humility, and her diligence in all that she did. It is these qualities that laid the foundation for the College becoming what it is today.
Our love and sympathy are extended to the Leigh family as they mourn the loss of Coral.
Mr Peter Sheahan (Principal)
Hope Lake
We had some sad news this year when we learnt that one of our past students died after losing her battle with cancer. Hope Lake went home to be with our Heavenly Father on 13th April, 2020. Hope was a student at our NWS campus from 2016 to 2017 and she was one of the members of our West Timor Missions trip in 2017. She left the College at the end of 2017 to pursue a career in nursing. Her younger sister, Hannah, joined the College at the beginning of 2019 and is a current Year 10 student.
Please uphold the Lake family in prayer as they grieve the loss of their precious loved one.
Mr Mark Crnkovic (Head of Campus, NWS)