Year 12 Graduation

Sporting colours are earned by athletes for competing at high levels in a particular sport. The St Pauls Red and Black Award is our College sporting colours, and the Red and Black Award is given to those students who have represented NSWCCC in sport. 

The award for representing NSWCCC in Golf is
Jedd Thomas.

The award for representing NSWCCC in Rugby Union is Blake Long.

The Artist of the Year award celebrates a Year 12 student artist who has significantly developed and extended their artmaking practice throughout the year. Students accepting this award have also embraced a significant range of artmaking techniques and materials, and have revealed their love of learning within the Visual Arts.

This year’s winner completed their HSC work through hours of skill and training in their chosen form of artmaking. 

This student’s body of work pours in all this knowledge and experience to create a meaningful and inspiring work of art. His work was most profound on account of its personal and familiar inspiration, which told a timeless story reaching back to the Renaissance, through Russia and Italy to modern day Australia, drawing his sister and evoking the work of Leonardo Davinci’s Mona Lisa. 

The Senior Musician of the Year Award is given in recognition to those who have shown an exemplary level of dedication and application to their craft, over a substantial period of time, whilst achieving at a high standard. 

As quoted by American writer Jim Rohn, “discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment” and the recipient for this award has shown a great deal of discipline to their craft, particularly in the area of music performance. 

Displaying a high level of application to their practice, you would regularly find this student spending their morning tea, lunch and study breaks refining their repertoire and honing their skills, in hope of perfecting every piece for future performance opportunities. The hunger, determination and drive to improve are their student’s building blocks for their future successful and fruitful musical journey.

The six year contribution to sport award is given to a student-athlete who has shown great commitment to sporting life at St Paul’s. They have demonstrated active participation in one or more sports. They have displayed exemplary sportsmanship in those sports. They exemplify leadership qualities by serving as a role model for others. And whilst they may have notable accomplishments, they place dedication and contribution to team culture above all else.

This year’s recipient has been heavily involved in sport at St Paul’s throughout his time here, beginning with a Jamie Lyon Cup grand final win all the way back in Year 7. He has never missed a College Carnival, has represented the College and Broken Bay in Touch Football, Rugby League and Athletics. He has fulfilled refereeing duties at local Primary school gala days, planned and facilitated sport coaching sessions for our feeder schools, has helped instruct younger students in the Michael Ace College gym, and represented the College with honour in a range of other sports including Volleyball, and most recently Soccer, where he scored a goal to help his team to victory. He has done all of this with a humble, friendly and sportsman-like approach.

The senior sportsman of the year award is awarded the "Phil Hudson Memorial Trophy", the most prestigious recognition a senior athlete can receive. It is awarded to a student who exemplifies the highest standards of sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic achievement. It is given to a student who has not only excelled in their chosen sport but has also demonstrated outstanding character, teamwork, and dedication to our College’s sporting program.

This student has had an exceptional year achieving highly in his given sport. His hard work in his sport was matched by his application to his studies in the classroom. He won the Broken Bay Championships and then went on to finish 4th at the NSWCCC championships, gaining him selection in the NSW combined All school’s “Gold” team.

Representing NSW at the National All Schools championships he finished 10th in his individual event, and his NSW Gold team went on to win the teams event.

Outside of school competitions he has had much success including at the opens senior level. He entered in the Australian Amateur championships, which had a number of overseas players, and he managed to make the cut and finish 57th overall - quite a remarkable achievement for a student still attending school.

His humility and dedication to his sport of choice, has been matched by the sportsmanship he has shown when also representing the College in rugby league, cricket and volleyball. However, it is his golf where he has excelled in both his own personal pursuits as well as the Combined Catholic Colleges pathway.

The Andy Martin Award acknowledges a unique kind of student, whose enthusiasm and commitment to the College Community is exemplary, demonstrating strength, drive and grit toward the achievement of personal success, both at school and beyond. They have overcome personal adversity to be successful.

This student came to St Paul’s in Year 8 looking for a fresh start following a challenging initial high school experience. He took some time to find his feet, but has since dedicated himself to his own personal self-improvement, cultivated positive relationships within the College and the community, and demonstrated sustained diligence in his subjects, earning regular Prima Primum awards as recognition of this. He is looking for a career that assists other young people in their endeavours when they are challenged and struggling to find their feet.  He is committed to giving back to the community through social work outside of the school environment or working in diverse learning within a school setting.

The Principal’s discretionary award is an award that is not always given out, and is reserved for students who have displayed excellence throughout their schooling. This award is given to students who carry themselves in a manner that embodies the St Paul’s values of respect, responsibility, reverence and results.

This year there will be two recipients of this award as their sustained effort and diligence toward their studies, and their contributions to the extra-curricular life of the College have been exemplary. Both students have perfect welfare records, and are regular recipients of Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Prima Primum, and Academic Excellence awards. Both students have represented the College in various sports, programs, competitions, forums, summits and conferences - such is their commitment to College life, and they are often the first students coming to the mind of staff when thinking of who might attend these events. They are highly respectful, courteous, and humble young men who have gone above and beyond in their subjects, evidenced by not only their grades but their innovative major works. 

The Reuben F Scarf Foundation contributes to numerous deserving and charitable causes of many kinds and creeds, both in Australia and overseas. The Reuben F. Scarf Award for Commitment is one of those deserving causes. The award recognises commitment. Mr. Scarf, believes that "young people who are persistent and dedicated, are the ones who ultimately reach their goals.” 

This year’s recipient embodies the word “commitment”. Recognising his sustained diligence, he has received numerous bronze, silver, gold, platinum and prima primum awards. His dedication to his studies over six years has been evident through awards for outstanding achievement in subjects and commitment to academic excellence awards. He has maintained behaviour level 1 throughout his time at St Paul’s, has participated in and contributed to countless programs, has exceeded the required minimum service hours every year, and has maintained a perfect welfare record since Year 7.  

The Ampol Best All Rounder Award has earned a reputation for being one of Australia’s most respected secondary education recognition programs. It acknowledges their all-round contributions to their schools and communities. The award is presented to an individual who has participated in a wide range of activities from Year 7 through to Year 12 from sport to social justice to whole school events. He has demonstrated great leadership and has always gone out of his way for others. He rallies the troops and keeps morale high. 

This student’s conduct throughout his time at St Paul's has been nothing short of outstanding. He is humble, reliable and has always given his best. He has represented the College in soccer, basketball, cross country, athletics, swimming volleyball, cricket and at the Manly Fun Run. He has contributed regularly and generously to social justice initiatives, most recently the Head Above Water Swim for mental health. And he has a strong portfolio filled with Academic Excellence Awards recognising his commitment to his studies and making the most of his ability.

The St Vincent de Paul Award for Community Service aims to recognise Year 12 students who have demonstrated a significant contribution and commitment to social justice and community service throughout their secondary school years. The award is named after the patron of the St Vincent de Paul Society who gave much of his time to serve the poor. Students who receive this award strive for social justice through advocacy, significant contributions, and sustained commitment to community service throughout their secondary school years.

This year it was impossible to decide between two students, such has been their response to each and every call to help those less fortunate than themselves. Both students have made regular and generous donations to each Winter Appeal, Christmas Hamper and Mission Month we have held. They have both significantly exceeded our College’s community service hours expectations, and even gone so far as creating their own charity to help a particular community, and donated their time on Boxing Day to help raise funds for a tour to Cambodia. These students have represented the College at a number of forums, conferences and retreats. They always speak up and set the example for others.

The Long Tan Youth Award is an award for leadership and teamwork and is awarded to someone who has displayed the following behaviours and attributes at a greater level than that of their peers: leadership, teamwork, values, problem solving, resourcefulness, communication, cooperation and community involvement. 

The 2023 recipient is a student who has gone out of their way to lead through their passion and love of the College, and their inclusion of others into what St Paul’s has to offer. His energy and enthusiasm for College events is infectious, and he often leads the way for others to follow in how he participates. He has regularly worked with our local community, in particular our Primary schools, strengthening our relationships with them and exciting students about a future at St Paul’s. He helped to run one of the bigger events in our College sporting calendar, the House Futsal tournament, and started a competition of his own, working with the Prefect team to create the inaugural Ultimate Chess Championship. 

Our final Award today is our most prestigious. The Edmund Rice Award is named in honour of Blessed Edmund Rice whose inspiration led to the formation of this college and continues to inspire us today. This award recognises a student who always strives for better things, sets goals that are achievable yet challenging. They are a student who constantly shows respect toward his peers, teachers and family. 

Our recipient of the Edmund Rice Award in 2023 should come as no surprise to anyone. He is an exceptional student whose kindness and leadership have left a significant positive impact on the College community. His remarkable level of involvement in all areas of College life have served as a role model for all students, where his strength in his ability to cultivate and maintain positive relationships with students and the wider community is consistently on display. He has represented St Paul’s at public services, youth forums and Masses, advocated for our fundraising and charity initiatives, and has balanced this with his studies, and sporting endeavours where he has played at representative levels.