Academic Captain's Report

Hello, my name is Owen McCoughtry and I am honoured to be the Saint Ignatius College Academic Captain for 2025.

On February 5th we celebrated the academic achievements of 2024 with our Academic Assembly held on site at the College. Zoe Walter opened the assembly beautifully, singing “On my Own” from Les Misérables, and supported by the talented Senior Choir.

It was a privilege to stand alongside Mr Exton, Ms Donnelly and the Leadership Team as we welcomed back the High Achievers of 2024, including the top 10 Students from each year level. The VCE students for 2024 were acknowledged and we all welcomed Year 12 students back to the College to celebrate their hard work and resilience in either achieving study scores of over 40 in individual subjects or a consolidated ATAR of over 90. It was great to have them back to recognise their achievements and hopefully inspire future students on their own academic journeys.

Evie Abbott was acknowledged as VCE VM Student of the year and spoke highly of the College’s support of her career pathway and study choice to pursue her passion of being an Electrician.

Catherine Anderson was acknowledged as the College’s VCE DUX student, with a score of 98.95. Catherine spoke warmly at the assembly, noting study habits that supported her throughout the years, but also acknowledging that everyone learns differently and encouraging students to find ways that work for them.

Fr Gerry introduced the Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program, speaking of his personal experience with Kwong Lee and passion for assisting students in achieving their personal best. We congratulated Year 11 Student Harriet Stepto on her application and being successful in receiving this award.

Our 2025 College Captains concluded the assembly and reinforced the College theme of Dream. Discover. Do. Moving forward, I encourage all students to reflect on this as formal assessments begin. It is important to settle back into study habits and routines, to support and encourage your peers, and to reach out to our amazing teachers and college network for clarification if needed. My study advice is to do a little each day so your workload remains manageable and you don’t fall behind.

Wishing you all the best in the year ahead.

Thanks,

Owen McCoughtry
Academic Captain