Last Friday, our School had a special opportunity to celebrate our highest achieving student of the Class of 2022—which is an impressive achievement, considering the calibre of all our students’ hard-earned results.

After attaining an ATAR of 99.95, six subject merits, The Governor of South Australia Commendation Excellence Award for Meritorious Achievement and the Tennyson Medal (awarded to the top student for English Studies in the SACE graduating class), there is no denying that throughout her time at Wilderness, our 2022 Dux, Olivia Tallent, demonstrated a genuine passion for learning.

Beyond her academic results, one of the most wonderful things about Olivia is that service to the community was a foundation stone for her. She has a strong moral compass and a genuine care for others.

I have included some of Olivia’s words below, as I believe both students and parents can benefit from her wisdom and practical tips about how to navigate the Senior School years while maintaining a balance between academic success, personal growth and generous service to the community.

“Firstly, Embrace SACE! This is going to sound cliché, but perhaps the strongest piece of advice I can give is to choose the subjects that interest you and then wholeheartedly commit to them. There will be a lot of chatter about which subjects are popular, and which subjects scale best. I made a conscious decision to ignore all of that noise and simply embrace the idea of learning. I picked subjects that meant something to me, because it would have been a very long and tedious year otherwise—and by committing to a subject, I mean I actually listened in class, and took the time to nut out those homework questions. Importantly, it also meant asking the embarrassing questions when it seemed everyone else understood.

“My second piece of advice is to embrace a balanced lifestyle. No doubt there are many of you here today thinking, ‘Dang! I have to give up everything in Year 12 and study all night to get a good ATAR.’ Girls, I am here to tell you that you don’t. I didn’t stay up late, and I kept up my sport, my music, a part time job and a social life. These were the things that I loved, and it was important to have fun. I can tell you, after finishing a tough Maths test, it felt awesome to let loose at Friday night footy.

“I will say this though… to do these extra activities, it did mean that I had to be organised and I couldn’t procrastinate. I had to set time limits and focus on the task at hand if I wanted to then do brunch with friends. I relied on a timetable each term that detailed everything, and I mean everything—even time for my favourite TV shows! By knowing that all my tasks were properly factored into my timetable for the coming term, it meant that I knew I could get everything done and this eliminated anxiety. This allowed me to enjoy all of the exciting events that happen in Year 12. One little side tip: I also set my own deadlines for tasks a few days ahead of my teachers’ deadlines and I made sure I treated my drafts like I was handing in my final version. This allowed me to cope with unexpected interruptions and saved time down the track when it came to finalising my submissions.

“Finally, I just want to say that success in Year 12 will be defined by your ability to maintain those good habits that you have mastered over the years. I cannot begin to tell you how many folder arrangements, timetabling apps, types of pens and trips to Officeworks I went through before I finally found what worked for me. Every experience before Year 12 is an opportunity to practise, adjust and try again until you get it right.”

Every student should note that final piece of advice—how each assignment, test, speech or challenge leading up to the final year of school is an opening to discover what works for her. Even when she faces obstacles, as parents and educators, we must encourage her to frame these experiences as opportunities, rather than as setbacks. We know that this gradual process of mastery places students on the pathway to success.

I was also incredibly proud to hear Olivia’s affirmation of the Wilderness teaching staff, whom she praised as our students’ loudest cheerleaders. I wholeheartedly agree with her, and I know that with these exceptional teachers by their side, our girls are equipped to take on the SACE—and their lives beyond—with great success.