We have been privileged to see the growth and service of our Year 12 students as they have embraced all that Kennedy Baptist College has to offer. As our students prepare for examinations, Head Girl and Conditional UWA Winthrop Scholarship recipient Amie shares with us her experience of leadership at Kennedy and her hopes for the future.
What has been the best part about your service as a student leader at Kennedy?
Definitely the relationships you build with other leaders and students in general. Leadership is all about service and so having a connection with your community is vital. I love seeing the impact that we have had on the Kennedy community, from smiles and laughs at Kennedy Day, to being recognised and thanked while walking around school. I’ve grown so much closer to the other executive leaders and it has been fantastic to learn from one another and grow together.
You had a significant role in the College’s Wellbeing Week and R U OK? Day events. What is the importance of this week?
Wellbeing Week is all about creating a space in which we can learn about wellbeing strategies, strike down the stigma surrounding poor mental health and mental illness, and provide opportunities to reach out and asks questions about mental health. It also provides a fun and enjoyable week, in which students were able to enjoy some tunes played through the school’s speakers, buy food from the bake sale and sausage sizzle and hear the lovely live music performance from the talented music students. Matthew Caruana, our Wellbeing Week speaker who is a Lifeline Ambassador, Guinness World Record holder and paraplegic basketball champion, delivered an impactful and authentic presentation on resilience, which has inspired a few struggling students to find support.
Describe to us the process of applying for the UWA Winthrop Scholarship.
It was quite a lengthy and intensive process, but it really helped me learn more about myself, my passions and who I want to be. The first step was to list and describe my achievements in sport, academics, arts, leadership, and community. I had to provide evidence of at least one achievement in each category, explain what each one meant to me, how many hours I contributed my services for and the impact they made on myself or others. I had lots of help completing this form from my teachers and my parents, which was absolutely necessary as of the 3000 people who applied, only 25 were selected from this form for the next stage.
The second step was a 20 minute interview where I answered questions about what I wanted to study, my reasons for applying for the scholarship and my ideas around leadership. The interview appeared daunting as the panel included many respected leaders from UWA, but I went in with the mentality that I was there to present my truthful and honest self, and that I was proud of how far I had come no matter what happens.
What would be your study advice and tips for our students as they continue to go through examinations?
I’ve got five main tips, although that being said, everyone studies differently as we all have unique brains that focus and learn in different ways.
- Know how to study for each subject. For subjects with numerous terms and definitions, like Psychology, try making use of flashcards. For more practical subjects such as Maths, complete practice question after practice question.
- Work on as many practice papers as you can find, in both test and non-test conditions. This is the best way to prepare for an upcoming examination as you will be more informed about what to expect and less likely to feel shocked by the exam paper and conditions.
- Getting enough sleep, exercise and healthy food is important. For your brain to work to the best of its ability it needs to be looked after.
- Plan ahead. If you schedule your time so you know you can get through each aspect of the syllabus before the exam, you’ll reduce your stress and daily workload and are more likely to avoid cramming, as long as you stick to the schedule.
- Lastly, know the syllabus. This is your examinable content so make sure you go through the syllabus and highlight anything you don’t know or are not sure about.
Best of luck, no matter what your grades don’t define who you are. It’s good to try your hardest but if something goes wrong there are so many alternative avenues into university and the work that you want, so you’ll be okay 😊
What are you hoping to study in the future?
My interests in various careers has changed drastically over the last 6 years, but I have received an early offer at UWA for the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) where I attend to major in the extended major, Human Science and Neuroscience. After completing my undergraduate research degree I attend to complete the Doctor of Medicine, with an interest in pursing Psychiatry.
