Amidst a global pandemic, one-in-100-year聽floods sweeping through her hometown of Benalla and the standard complexities that come with being a high school student, Anna Howell still managed to achieve an ATAR of 99.75.
Even with all the challenges over the past few years, nothing was going to stop me. It had an impact on me, of course, but I never lost motivation – I had goals for myself and I knew what I wanted to achieve,鈥� she says.
鈥淚 walked out of most of my final exams pretty happy and even though I thought I could have done better in a few of them, I was hopeful that I would do well. When I logged in and saw my final results, I was blown away. I had my sisters (Kiera, Class of 2016 and Ella, Class of 2018) sitting next to me and parents on FaceTime; I was screaming and crying, they didn鈥檛 know if it was good or bad news.鈥�
Over the years, Anna has taken advantage of the various opportunities available to her, including travelling to Sumatra, Indonesia for the GVGS World Challenge in 2019/20 and the role of 2022 Social Justice Prefect.
鈥淚鈥檝e studied Indonesian since primary school. I knew that I wanted to continue studying Indonesian into VCE, but you need to dedicate a lot of time and energy into learning a second language, so fast-tracking gave me that chance to fully focus on a Unit 3/4 subject in Year 11. It鈥檚 like you form different connections in your brain when you study a language – when you read a passage in another language, you need to decipher it and that complex problem solving did flow over into how I tackled my other VCE subjects, especially maths,鈥� she says.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had a passion for gender equity and social issues and so being Social Justice Prefect suited my ambitions and values. I was keen to take on a leadership role because I had a lot of ideas I wanted to share and put into motion; it鈥檚 been a great experience.鈥�
Anna says she has thoroughly enjoyed her time at GVGS and looks back fondly on her six years at the School. 鈥淚鈥檝e been so fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend GVGS; I truly believe the School has a unique culture that fosters a love for learning and achieving your absolute best,鈥� she says.
鈥淭alking to other friends who have been at other schools, it shows me how special GVGS really is and the support you do get. The teachers are amazing, they鈥檙e there to support you 110% – they do go above and beyond and they want to see you succeed. It has certainly been special and I have some really great memories that I鈥檒l have with me forever.鈥�
In 2023, Anna is looking forward to commencing a Bachelor of Science at The University of Melbourne, which she is hoping will then lead on to a Master of Engineering.
鈥淲hat drew me to choosing The University of Melbourne and The聽Melbourne Model was that you鈥檙e not locked into a decision – you can change your mind. I can divert away and change my mind if I want to and it doesn鈥檛 disrupt my learning or add years to my degree,鈥� she says.
鈥淚鈥檒l be living at St Hilda鈥檚 College and I鈥檓 very excited for that. I鈥檝e loved my time at GVGS and I鈥檓 ready to move away, branch out and become more independent. I鈥檇 love to travel at some point as well, so I can get out into the world and grow as a person.鈥�