• On the trip to China in 2011.
I graduated from North Lake Senior Campus in 2012.
I attended three different high schools before coming to North Lake. What I found the best about the school is that I was treated like an adult. All of the teachers were very knowledgeable and experienced in their subjects and there was a general atmosphere of respect between the students and staff.
The teachers were flexible and understanding of different students’ needs and there was a focus on results for students in terms of academic achievement and future prospects, regardless of their backgrounds. I felt that this really allowed me to focus on the coursework and achieve the results I needed to do well in the ATAR, more so than more traditional high schools.
One of the most beneficial things for me personally was the exchange program to China. In 2011. I joined a cohort of North Lake students in a study trip to Hefei, which was offered at a really reasonable price. We also visited several other cities in China. I found it to be a really fascinating country and an overall really valuable experience in learning about another culture.
During university I was awarded a government scholarship to do a semester of exchange in Hong Kong and I wound up living and working in China for a year teaching English. During that year I also travelled all around central Europe. Currently, I’m living and working in Taipei, Taiwan, and I’m proficient in Mandarin. Soon, I’ll be studying a master’s degree. If it wasn’t for this experience at North Lake I wouldn’t have even thought to have gone down this path, which has been a really profound and amazing experience, socially and career-wise.
If it wasn’t for this school, I may have never achieved my WACE and gone to university. Studying at North Lake was a truly valuable experience for me and set me on a path to personal development and a really rewarding life.