Lessons from our Class of 2025 Duces and Scholars
The voices of our Class of 2025 Duces and Scholar graduates remind us that learning is never just about marks — it’s about growth, courage, curiosity and the moments that shape who we become. Their insights offer a powerful reminder that success is built not only through achievement, but through self‑discovery, balance and the willingness to step beyond what feels comfortable.
Congratulations to our Class of 2025 Duces and Scholars:
Walter Powell Scholars Jonah Bosco (VCE Dux of the School) Zoe Shepherd (IB DP Dux of the School) | Walter Powell Scholars Benjamin Allsop (VCE Dux of the School) Rick Foley (IB DP Dux of the School) |
General Excellence Scholars Sophie Hicklin (VCE) Neel Khot (IB DP) Samuel Tan (IB DP) | General Excellence Scholars Jade Chen (VCE) Yichen (Denis) Jiang (IB DP) Sissi Li (IB DP) Sansita Sharma (IB DP) Qing He (Candy) Ye (IB DP) |
Alexander Wawn Scholar Nicholas Levy | Alexander Wawn Scholar Kirwan Schoenborn |
Alison Arnold Scholar Magnus Cath-Fawcett | Lance Pilgrim Family Scholar Zahra Aly |
Draper Scholars Leo (Year 11, VCE) Aarav (Year 11, IB DP) | Draper Scholars Joshua (Year 11, VCE) Jordan (Year 11, IB DP) |
Reflections from the Duces and Scholars
Class of 2025 graduates returned to the College to share their experiences and offer advice and key learnings to current students.
Jade Chen, VCE General Excellence Scholar, Glen Waverley Campus
On paper, my journey looks straightforward. A good ATAR, some awards, decent study scores in English and French, so clearly, I did something right. But that is never the whole story.
The parts that stay with me most happened outside the marks.
It was in the orchestra for Les Miserable and Annie, squashed in the pit with friends. It was standing on stage during Winter Concert, performing a concerto with my heart racing. It was staying back after school for club meetings, debating things that had nothing to do with exams, laughing in the maths annex with friends, stressing before SACs, dancing at formal…that’s the stuff I remember the most.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing and Year 12 hit me hard. What got me through wasn’t suddenly having everything figured out. It was learning, bit by bit, to check in with myself, instead of just pushing through because I felt like I had to. What would I say now, looking back? ‘Don’t tune out your own voice.’
There’s so much going on around you – it’s easy to lose yourself or feel like your path is already decided. But sometimes the bravest thing you can do is pause and listen to yourself... what do YOU actually want, enjoy, need.
For me, that meant practicing music in the middle of a busy SAC week. Saying no sometimes. Letting myself feel sad and tired, without feeling guilty about not being productive. That gave me the space to step back, reset and look at what I was doing as a whole… which helped me decide how I actually wanted to move forward.
So, if I could leave you with anything today, it would be to embrace the mess and everything that gets thrown your way.
Not every score will be what you hoped. Not every day will be your best. What matters more is what you choose to do next. Do you stay stuck in what could’ve been, or do you let it shape what comes next? Those moments don’t define you on their own. Your response to them does. In all that mess, the person you are becoming is taking shape – not in spite of it, but because of it.
Jonah Bosco, VCE Dux, St Kilda Road Campus
One of the biggest challenges I faced during Year 12 was balancing everything. I distinctly remember feeling overwhelmed in Term 1 with everything being thrown my way. This led to many late nights staying up, trying to cram.
And of course this didn’t work.
What I was doing wasn’t productive — it just made me more tired, stressed and less focused the next day. I realised I had to change my routine.
I began by being more intentional with my time. For me, that meant protecting my sleep. I set a cut-off time to put the pen and paper down. Once I established a routine around consistent sleep, I found I could focus better during class and grasp the content quicker. I no longer spent fruitless nights relearning material. This then freed up more of my nights and weekends to do things with my friends, helping me find some balance.
The other thing that helped was finding the right time and place to study. For me, that was the library after school. My mind was still fresh. There were fewer distractions than at home. It allowed me to focus fully and use my time well.
This brings me to something I want to emphasise. Achievement isn’t just about a number or a score. While your ATAR and exam results might feel like the measure of your success, what is equally, if not more important, is the mindset, habits and skills you develop along the way.
Some of my fondest memories of Wesley came from new experiences like joining the International Relations Society Bollywood night and immersing myself in our country’s first nation's history and culture at Yiramalay. In those and other moments, I experienced things I never would have if had I stayed in my comfort zone. Those experiences stretched me and made my time here richer.
When you look back – and you will – your ATAR will be just a small part of what you remember from your time at Wesley. So, work hard. Be intentional with your time and energy and push yourself academically, but also, be curious. Say yes to new things. Step outside your comfort zone.
When you walk out of here for the final time, leave knowing you have made the most of all the opportunities you had.
Sophie Hicklin, VCE General Excellence Scholar, St Kilda Road Campus
I am currently taking a gap year to backpack around Europe for a few months. And next year, if I can bring myself to come back, I am planning to study advertising at RMIT. Some people might think that a creative pursuit is an odd choice, given my results, or maybe I'm projecting my own self-doubt, but it’s ultimately what I want to do. I'm can’t tell you whether I’ve made a good decision or not, but I still feel inclined to advise you to do the same.
I wish I could tell you I had a secret study technique that helped me through Year 12, but honestly there is no such thing as a study shortcut. Learning takes time and it takes depth. However, I did take measures that I think were helpful.
When I couldn’t get to sleep, I would write down a list of things that freaked me out and underneath that, write down things I was looking forward to, tricking my brain into thinking about the good rather than the bad.
I also encourage to you continue to see the value in people and things that have absolutely nothing to do with school. Keep up with your hobbies and social life and surround yourself with people who don’t define you by your academic success.
I think what benefited me the most in Year 12 was my curiosity. Learning takes time, so if you want your final years of school to be not only successful but also bearable, you need to be curious and you must want to learn.
I hate to admit it, but there were times when I got excited about my assessments and I’d like to think that my enthusiasm translated into my work. Pick subjects that excite you, research beyond what you learn in class, ask as many questions as you can. You are all so incredibly privileged to be receiving the education that you are, so I urge you to not take it for granted.
Don’t get comfortable with your opinions or be ignorant to your privileges and biases. Learn to make decisions in consideration of their consequences. Travel widely. Spend time in nature. Be kind to the Earth and to the people around you. And trust that although sometimes it doesn’t seem like it, the world wants you to succeed.
Class of 2025 Destinations
We are immensely proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of our 2025 graduates. Their dedication and perseverance throughout their final years of schooling have truly paid off.
They have gone on to commence study in business and commerce, sciences and the arts and to travel the world. 61% of students received offers from Melbourne’s top universities, including the University of Melbourne and Monash University, reflecting the high academic standards of teaching and learning at the College.
Our graduates’ aspirations are not confined to Australia, with 13 students receiving offers for a wide range of courses in the UK.
Learn more about our students’ tertiary destinations and fields of study.
