Thanks to flexible learning, Year 11 student Elyse Venour already has the skills and qualifications for a successful future.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College student Elyse Venour credits Catholic Education with helping her land on her feet – quite literally – not just in her education but in her career opportunities as well.
Still in Year 11, the talented dancer has already achieved the 200 credits required for the SACE thanks to the support from her school and the flexibility of her timetable. Having completed her Stage 1 qualifications in dance, graphic design and communication products, Stage 2 in dance plus Certificate III in Dance through vocational education and training (VET), Venour is now looking forward to exploring new areas of interest in Year 12.
“It’s a great feeling knowing my SACE is completed by the end of Year 11 and next year I’ll be able to discover new subjects like psychology, information processing publishing and more design subjects, so I’ll be able to really get a focus on what I want to do at uni,” she says. “And I want to do Maths and English because I also do well in them.”
As she prepares to leave schooling behind and step out into an exciting future, the former St Gabriel’s student is a true inspiration to young people beginning their education journey, including St Gabriel’s Reception student Mia and Year 5 student Kaitlyn, who both dream of following in Venour’s footsteps. “I like coming to OLSH College to watch the students dancing,” Kaitlyn says.
While her future career path remains open, dance has always been close to Venour’s heart and she is grateful for the opportunities for development and personal growth it has brought to her life. “At St Gabriel’s (primary school), I got to do primary connections with OLSH College where I would come and watch the musicals, which really inspired me,” she says. “Since Year 8, I have been provided with so many opportunities to pursue that: I have choreographed school musicals and performances, but also the school has been flexible in letting me do my Certificate III in Dance, which has helped with the future because I can go to university or I can choose to continue with my dance teaching.”
Having the opportunity to study with a Registered Training Organisation while at school has also nurtured personal growth and helped Venour develop skills highly valued by employers. “In my junior years I was a bit shy but through the VET course I learned how to communicate with parents, so my confidence has built,” Venour says. “It also helped me to be a leader in the best ways possible for everything I do.
“Studying dance as well as communication products and design has really pushed my creativity: sometimes I have struggled with an area so studying those subjects helped me problem solve to push past and devlop new skills that I’ll be able to take into other industries.”
St Joseph’s School, Payneham is immersing students in STEM learning from an early age.
