23 August, 2020

Three graduates from Catholic secondary colleges in the Diocese of Sale have been acknowledged for their strong performance in Year 12 during 2020, winning Premier’s VCE Awards.

The recipients included Mr Nathanael Duffy from Lavalla Catholic College, Miss Rhiannon Gallagher from St Francis Xavier College, and Miss Hannah Perry from Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College.

Despite periods of remote learning due to COVID-19, each student achieved a perfect study score of 50 in one of their VCE subjects.

Nathanael excelled in Music Performance. He was College Captain, and participated in a range of musical groups at school, including Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Liturgical Choir and was also involved in the Chess Team and public speaking competitions.

Rhiannon received outstanding results in Sports and Recreation (VCE VET). She was College Sports Captain, and was active in various sporting communities outside of school. She represented the state country basketball youth league and played seniors and semi-professional level basketball.

Hannah earned a top score in Further Mathematics, and the highest ATAR in the history of Mary MacKillop College, 99.7. She was College Vice-Captain and participated in a range of extra-curricular activities. She has now commenced a double degree in Law and Arts at Monash University.

Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, Ms Maria Kirkwood, congratulated each of the students for receiving the prestigious award.

“Hannah, Rhiannon and Nathanael are shining examples of our vision for students to become engaged and successful learners. Their approach to education reflects the aspirations of our Catholic schools, to spread the message of hope in the world, while encouraging students to reach their full potential,” she said.

The Premier’s VCE Awards recognise the top-performing students in the State. This year, 297 students were recognised with awards for their outstanding results.