I graduated in the class of 2021. My journey at Clonard was slightly wonky, but once I settled, finding an awesome group of friends and beginning to settle with teachers who were on my team I was on my way (shout out to Ms Meg, Ms Semjonov and Ms Ryan, the most memorable of my teachers, no idea what I would have done without you lot). I didn’t achieve high marks. I didn’t do difficult subjects. In fact, I walked through school with no real academic goals. I wasn’t really interested in going to Uni, and racking up a HECS debt for no reason, but I completed my scored VCE “just in case, so that I had options”. 

The day of my last exam, straight after, I started working. I was working full time, 6 days a week as a beekeeper, in agriculture. This took me all over the countryside, to all different parts of Victoria. I had a great deal of opportunities to go interstate as well, and learn at conferences etc.

A year later I got an awesome opportunity to move to far northern NSW and work under different beekeepers and partially for myself. I worked full time, as well as working for myself. I also picked up a diploma of agribusiness and completed that, just for something a little extra up my sleeve. That summer I raised 2500 queen cells and sold them successfully, as well as producing other beekeeping products.

I then got an opportunity to come alongside my now partner, and run a much bigger beekeeping operation, based in Glen Innes, which is not very far from the Queensland border. We are still running this business with much success, and have had many, many opportunities to learn and grow. Two years in I bought my first house, at just 20 years old. I managed to achieve all this despite all my personal struggles.

My advice to future students:

– it’s okay to have no idea where you’re going and what you’re doing.

– the most important relationships lie within your family, regardless of what you may think, they are there to support you.

– it’s okay to not want to go to university, it’s ok to go and work and not “invest” in your future.

– take every opportunity that is given to you. 

– don’t let your struggles define you.

– listen to the people around you, every person has an experience that you can learn from. 

– be humble, humility will get you much further in life than arrogance will.

– I can’t remember what my ATAR was, in the real world, outside of formal education, no one cares.

– there are other pathways out there in life, ag is a realistic career, and in my experience has been quite enjoyable.