By Brett Kennedy
THE resilience of St Martins Lutheran College students was praised by principal Alan Connah at Tuesday’s celebration marking the release of South Australian Certificate of Education results.
David Zwijnenburg topped the college class of 2020 with 98.90, including a Merit in Physics.
Of the 50 college students to complete their SACE, 12pc achieved an ATAR of 90 or above.
They included Kate McGregor (95.15), Ella Driscoll (90.90), Abubakir Abduvahobov (90.85) and Joshua Bonanno (90.75).
Mr Connah said the school had tried to “normalise” the year as much as possible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, adding while it had been a rollercoaster ride, 2020 had been successful for the college.
“It’s not just the kids achieving great academic outcomes,” Mr Connah explained, “We’ve had a huge number of kids follow different pathways this year, bigger than past years.”
More than half the 2020 cohort completed a Vocational Education Training (VET) qualification as part of their SACE.
College career and VET coordinator Linda Polomka said earning a VET qualification gave students a head-start into the workforce.
“It helps them get an idea if that’s the sort of pathway they want to take and it is great if they can leave school with their SACE and a vocational qualification,” Ms Polomka said.
“I think (the high uptake) is recognition that there are multiple pathways to get to where you want to get to these days, you don’t have to fit the same academic model for all students.”
For college Dux David, he conceded he “had no idea where I’m headed” post-secondary school.
The high achiever said Year 12 study proved more manageable than expected and said COVID had minimal impact on his schooling.
“I think there were Year 12s in Australia who had it tough but I don’t think I am in that boat,” David said.
His sentiments were echoed by his classmates, with both Ella and Josh also pleasantly surprised by how they managed the year.
“I think I just managed my time well so it wasn’t too bad,” Ella said.
“I’m very happy – I feel like my hard work has paid off.”
Josh said after a heavy workload in Year 11, his senior year of schooling proved easier than expected.
David also praised the school environment for fostering students’ individual strengths.
“There is a culture of doing what you can with what you’ve got,” he said.
“There is a big vibe to see what you can do and work hard with what you’ve got because there are plenty of opportunities out there.”
