Throughout my time at Canberra Grammar School, my co-curricular and academic activities have helped shape who I am, providing me with many of the skills needed to be ready for the world.
Academically, I’ve been provided with opportunities to excel in a range of different fields. Within School classes, the challenges provided have helped to build strong problem-solving skills, allowing me to develop creative solutions to unique and interesting questions. These skills, alongside other strategies and tools provided by my teachers, have allowed me to strengthen my academic knowledge during my time at CGS resulting in strong performances in all my subjects across the years. One of the achievements I’m most proud of is receiving the ADF Future Innovators Award in Year 10. The Award recognised my efforts in the STEM subjects, a field in which I am particularly passionate; while I’ve enjoyed the wide range of subjects offered within the School, I’ve especially enjoyed Sciences, Mathematics and Technology and the immense amount of academic opportunities provided within them.
Outside of the classroom, one of the primary academic experiences I’ve been able to engage with was the da Vinci Decathlon, having participated in the event since Primary School. The programme allowed me to showcase all of the skills developed within classes throughout my time at CGS. In particular, the Decathlon experience itself allowed me to develop my teamwork skills as I was required to collaborate with my peers to identify successful solutions to globally significant issues. It provided an opportunity to diversify my knowledge of the world, creating a more open-minded and curious student. I was also able to take on a leadership role within the programme, which entailed organising my team and mentoring younger students, teaching them competition-related strategies and skills within a range of bespoke training sessions. This allowed me to further develop my communication and organisation skills which will be immensely useful as I progress through university and my future career.
Beyond academics, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in a range of significant extracurricular activities I am incredibly proud of. As a Year 11 Senior, I had the opportunity to mentor Year 7 students through their first year within the CGS Senior School, balancing commitments across my own Senior House and responsibilities in Snow House. As I progressed into Year 12, I expanded my mentorship into becoming the House Captain of Snow House, leading a new group of Year 7s as I progressed through my own final year of schooling. Within the role, I was able to organise House activities including Snow Cup, an inter-House competition between the different tutor groups, the Snow Social, and a family BBQ for the entire Snow community. This has been in addition to running weekly House meetings and creating new and unique ways to recognise the achievements of students within the House. I was able to develop relationships with a variety of students and staff that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to meet, working together to run a successful and positive House culture. The experience has also allowed me to develop my public speaking and social skills through a number of important events with special guests and the wider community.
Service has also been a particularly important co-curricular experience during my time at the School. The Sony Camp, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, where I cared for a child with disabilities for 72 hours, provided an engaging and enjoyable experience while also offering respite for the families and carers. It was truly transformational and provided me with skills and experiences that wouldn’t usually be taught within the classroom.
All of these experiences and events, both academic and cocurricular, have allowed me to make significant strides in my confidence. Whether it be public speaking and communication or teamwork and leadership, the opportunities provided to me by CGS have provided me with the skills and strategies to be truly ready for the world.
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