General News
13 December, 2023
DUX's look to the future
ACROSS the district Year 12 students faced the nail-biting moments of waiting for the final results of a culmination of 13 years of schooling on Monday.
Timboon P-12 School’s Olive Andrew was named as DUX for the school with an ATAR of 86.6.
Olive said she was pleased with her results.
“I’m feeling very good,” she said.
“I expected myself to get an alright ATAR but not DUX.”
Olive said she planned on taking a gap year in 2024 before hopefully starting a teaching degree.
“I’m wanting to do a P-12 degree at Monash focused on special needs,” she said.
“I wouldn’t mind teaching in both primary and secondary.”
Olive said she strived to have a study/life balance.
“Thank you to my parents for pushing me to study and my year 12 co-ordinator Caroline Wakefield,” she said.
School principal Matt Dodson congratulated Olive on her results.
“We wish to congratulate Olive on her outstanding achievements this year,” he said.
“She has been a great model for our school community and embodied our school values of respect, empathy and commitment.
“We wish her all the best in her next stage of life as she looks toward studying to be a teacher.”
Mr Doddson said Olive was a school captain this year and was a “conscientious and well respected student who not only focused on her academic achievement, but has also contributed in many ways to our school community”.
“She is active in our local community and has been involved as a member and volunteer in the Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club and Cobden Football Netball Club,” he said.
Mr Doddson wished all graduating students well for their future endeavours.
“We were very pleased with the results of the students,” he said.
“They have all got concrete plans for 2024. Some are looking to go further afield and others are going to be looking locally.
“We wish them all the best.”
Cobden Technical School’s Willoughby Perriss was named as the school’s DUX for 2023.
He completed Indonesian and Health and Human Development this year, after previously completing Biology, Physical Education and Further Mathematics.
Willoughby said he was “pretty happy with the results”.
“I was putting off looking at my results all morning,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting it; it definitely made my day.
“My plan is going to Uni next year.”
Willoughby said he was looking to start a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Management and a Bachelor of Business at Deakin University in 2024.
“I want to thank my parents, a lot of community figures that I’ve been involved with and have encouraged me to do my best and the school,” he said.
School principal Rohan Keert congratulated Willoughby as the school’s highest scoring student and DUX for 2023.
“Willoughby has been an inspiring role model to other students for balancing his school studies and numerous part time jobs outside of school as well as significant contributions in the community including a volunteer of the local CFA and the Progress Cobden group,” he said.
“Willoughby has also attended many interschool and regional level sporting events and in 2022 was a well-respected school captain and student representative council member.
“In 2022 he was an Olympic Change Maker Award recipient which led to Willoughby being only one of three Victorians selected to attend the Australian Olympic Change Maker summit in Canberra.”
Mr Keert congratulated all of the school’s graduating students.
“At Cobden Technical School we place equal emphasis on all senior school pathways including VCE, VM and VET,” he said.
“We are very proud of our graduating students and wish them every success as they move into the next stage of their lives.”
