Mikala Ellis got two great surprises in one day last week after the year 12 student was woken up by the sound of her HSC scores ringing through to her phone.
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The Peel High pupil was already expecting some reasonable marks after putting in the hard yards late in the year, but was over the moon to discover that she had even surpassed her own expectations.
“I was very nervous, and didn’t get much sleep but when I got the marks they were much better than I expected, so I was pretty happy,” she said.
“Some were a lot better.”
That day just kept getting better for Ms Ellis as well, after being named the winner of the Val Allan Memorial Trophy for the highest achieving Aboriginal student at Peel High.
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“That was a bit of a shock to win that too – I really wasn’t expecting that either,” she said.
“I am very proud to have my name on it.”
While Ms Ellis wasn’t sure whether to celebrate or mourn the end of school, the student is excited to begin the next chapter of her life, hoping to turn an interest into a career.
“It is really good to be finished school, but at the same time I am really going to miss everyone, and miss the routine of school.
“Hopefully I have the marks now to get into criminology at the UNE in Armidale.
“I have always been interested in the criminal investigation process.”
While she will miss the friends she is leaving behind at Peel, the student did leave some sage advice for those about to start their HSC year.
“Don’t stress too much, but don’t stress too little either – try and find that balance between school and home,” she said.
“I wish I put in more effort earlier in the year. I had to work pretty hard at the end but now that it is finished it was definitely worth it.
“The school have been really good, very supportive and helpful, and so have my friends – we all helped each other get through.”