What did you do straight after finishing school?

Right after school finished, I could breathe normally again after exams, and I did a lot of sleeping to catch up on what I missed while studying.

What are you doing currently?

I received an offer to study Animal and Veterinary Science at LaTrobe University in Bundoora. I moved on campus for the school year and I am happy to be heading back there for my second year.

How did you find the transition from school to either work or further study?

I very much enjoyed the freedom that came with leaving school and the options I had for establishing my future career. The transition from formally structured days to sometimes having things on and sometimes not was very jarring, for 13 years I had one purpose for each weekday but then all of a sudden, I had two classes a day and the rest of the day free to do anything.

What subjects or experiences at Clonard helped you to get to where you are now?

I had quite a rough time as a student due to my social standing as somewhat of an outcast, however my teachers were always there to assure me that it was not forever and that I could push through and come out the other side better for the challenge, but my biology teacher Mr Canning in particular was a very important part of me securing the uni course that I was after as it was heavily centred on biology. He helped me believe that, despite my stress and lower grades, I could turn it around and achieve the scores I needed for my desired course and that is just what I did.

What are your hopes for the future?

My hope for the future is to be an Avian Vet, my passion lies with animals, and I have a soft spot for birds, so it feels like the perfect profession for me. It is going to be around 5 or 6 more years of study, but it will be well worth the end result of having my dream job.


Thanks for sharing, Olivia, we wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

If you are a 2023 graduating student who would also like to share your story, we would love to hear from you, please reach out to melinda@clonard.vic.edu.au.