High Achievers Assembly 2019
‘Engage in extracurricular activities, spend time with your mates and try to take pleasure in your study. If you get this balance right, everything will seem easier and less of a burden, and you’ll reap the rewards of your effort.’ – Luke Harris, College Dux 2019
Inspiration, commitment and hard work was personified on Thursday 13 February as students, staff, parents and members of the Waverley community gathered together to welcome back and celebrate our high achievers from the Class of 2019.
These assemblies set the tone for the Academic year ahead. They inspire hope and propel us to strive toward something better, greater and higher.
We were delighted to hear two of our 2019 Graduates speak at the assembly. Thank you to both Remi Defina-Sperando and Luke Harris who shed light on their experiences and offered some wonderful words of encouragement and advice to our student body.
Remi spoke openly about his passion for playing musical instruments and composing music, indicating that he found his inspiration for his HSC composition through the tragic 2019 attack on the Mosques in New Zealand. He dedicated his music piece to the victims of this horrific attack. Remi’s composition was subsequently nominated for HSC Music Encore and he was a distinguished achiever for Music 2.
His final message to the students was to ‘use your passions to your advantage and don’t do a subject you find boring. Do the things you enjoy, figure out how to incorporate all the things you like into your HSC subjects, and find something that really inspires you.’ We wish Remi all the best as he begins his tertiary study of a Bachelor of Science Majoring in Biochemistry.
It was with great pleasure to award Luke Harris with the plaque of Highest ATAR 2019, a perfect ATAR score of 99.95. In addition to that, Luke was honoured on the 2019 Premiers all rounders list and was a distinguished achiever for Chemistry, Advanced English, Extension Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, Physics and Studies of Religion 2. Luke placed 8th in the State for Physics, 13th in the State for Advanced English and was honoured with the prestigious Sydney University Scholar Chancellor’s Award.
Luke reflected on his time at Waverley, also highlighting the importance of choosing subjects that you enjoy. ‘The largest part of my motivation came from choosing subjects I was interested in and could see myself using at Uni.’ Luke encouraged students to take responsibility for their study, seek feedback from their teachers and to ‘try different study techniques until you find something that works best for you.’
We wish Luke every success as he embarks on a double degree at Sydney University, a Bachelor of Science and Advanced Studies in Mathematics.
It is safe to say that the Class of 2019 found their success in very different ways. Whatever path our Year 12 boys chose, it is important to remember that they leave the College with much more than just a number, mark or rank. The journey that brought each student to this point has been far more valuable.
I congratulate the entire HSC Class of 2019 on their fine results and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks to the outstanding commitment of staff and the tireless support of parents during their son’s learning journey.
Click on the following link for full details on our HSC 2019 Honour Roll *90+ ATARs Plus Students who Received Nominations for Major Works.
