YEAR 12 student Amber Wedge received Park Ridge State High School’s highest honour by being named Dux at the school’s awards evening on Thursday.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
The award ceremony was filled with plenty of entertainment by the school’s music and dance students including a performance of New York, New York by David Illalio-Tonata and the Park Ridge State High School's Dance Troop.
Rhys Doolan received the Joel Hamilton Memorial Award, Brittany Hodgson received the Bert van Manen MP Resilience Award and Chloe Ryder took home the Apprentice of the Year Award.
Other winners included Sebastian Buciu with Performer of the Year, Emma Thompson for the Caltex All-Rounder Award and Jasmin Hardie won Student of the Year.
Thanh Nguyen was named Junior Dux and received an Academic Excellence Award and Kyle Brady received the Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year Award.
Chek Ly was awarded the Senior Aspire Award and Shannon Hastie received the Junior Aspire Award.
Deputy principal Tony Hillas congratulated the students on their achievements.
“This school is not about having an above average intellectual ability,” he said.
“Students who achieve at school and receive a outstanding results, do so through a strong commitment to their education.”
Principal Sharon Amos addressed the auditorium at the end of the evening, reflecting on the students sense of camaraderie and the road to success.
“What I have always loved about this school is the heart of the students in the community and their commitment to care for each other,” she said.
“I have seen students do amazing things during my time at this school and I have seen them achieve beyond expectation and in may cases despite significant challenges.
“I have always believed our students can and will do extraordinary things, given the encouragement and opportunity to do so.
“This year we have unashamedly focused in all we do because we know that success is not about an outcome, it is about an attitude.
“I am immensely proud of our students, dedicated staff, our community partners and our parents who have all worked together to see wonderful things happen.”
Author and former teacher Di Perkins gave the year 12 students words of encouragement for the future.
“You have got the capacity, nee, you have got the obligation to do so much to improve this world, that generations such as mine have almost destroyed,” she said.
