Cherie Thierry – Class of 2016

I attended Clonard from 2011-2016. After Clonard I went on to study a double degree in Arts and Laws, with a major in History and minor in Philosophy. My academic path wasn’t linear, and yet I found a way to end up where I wanted to be.

Clonard was the perfect environment for me. It was personal, adaptive and full of teachers who genuinely wanted to see you succeed. I excelled in English under the fierce guidance of Mrs Chandler and Ms Ryan and found my love of History and Law with Mr McCallum. Their kindness, enthusiasm and feedback ensured I formed lifelong communication skills that put me in good stead for my future studies.

In year 9 I chose Legal Studies as an elective and decided then that I wanted to study Arts/Laws after I finished VCE. While this was the goal, I had presumed that I wouldn’t be able to manage this in light of my depression and anxiety diagnosis. Initially, I fell short of the ATAR requirements for Law at Deakin University, so I deferred my studies and took 2 gap years. This gave me time to breathe, travel and live in the UK as an Au Pair.

Eventually I studied Arts at Deakin, and with strong marks was allowed to transfer into Arts/Laws. Having completed this degree, I’m now finishing Practical Legal Training and will soon be admitted as an Australian Lawyer. Currently, I’m working full time in a Geelong law firm and live with my fiancé Sam and adopted greyhound, Phoebe.

When it comes to advice for students, I would advise the following:

• Be kind to yourself; taking a bit longer to accomplish something isn’t a major issue in the grand scheme of your life.
• Ask for help and utilise resources provided to you.
• Persevere until you get where you want to be.