College Day 2024

Pomp and circumstance, red and yellow. The school was filled with its finest students, esteemed teachers and staff, our principals and guests of honour as VJC celebrated its 40th annual college day on 19th July 2024. 

The festive hums of our graduating batch and the tie adorned student and teacher faculties buzzed with excitement and energy as our emcees, Natalie Goh and Nathan Robert Taylor stepped onto the stage to kick start the ceremony. 

Our principal, Jeffrey Low, took to the stage closely after, sharing firstly our college report,  showcasing the high honour that we as Victorians have continued and will continue to uphold. Best believe the crowd cheered as the statistics of the outstanding class of 2023 was displayed. Mr Low also managed to share some tidbits of wisdom, reiterating our ‘Work Hard Play Hard’ motto as well as making multiple statements about the growing number that marked his age, which was in all means overstatements. 

On this ceremonious day, we were also graced with our guest of honour—an esteemed alumna returning to her alma mater, Ms. Nadia Ahmad Samdin. As the Minister of Parliament took to the stage, she recollected her precious memories made in the school, from being part of the Theatre Studies and Drama department, to the fun she had with her peers. We gained insight into how Victoria has nurtured multiple batches of students before us. 

Then began the awards ceremony itself. 

The awards given out were by no means scarce, awarding exemplary students for various achievements. Some of them were remarkable social work or sporting achievements while others highlighted students’ affinities for their areas of focus such as, Mathematics, the Sciences, the Humanities and Art. Both year 1 and year 2 students were awarded with these awards. Following right after, the graduated year 3 students collected their awards for their achievements during the A level examinations and leadership that benefited our school community. Watching such awe-inspiring students definitely evoked a sense of pride amongst us students. 

An unforgettable moment was hearing from our valedictorian, Lin Jianheng Brishen from 22A11, who received the The Wong Hung Khim trophy for the student of the year. Hearing about his various extracurricular activities and academic achievements was awe-inspiring. His hard work and sincerity in his valedictorian speech was not lost on the listeners. 

Behind the glamorous event on the whole, were also the Victorians that took effort to create this ceremony and mould it into the grand event that it was. Performances from the members of Wushu, Chinese Orchestra and String Ensemble added to the gleam of our Victorian identity as it displayed the varied talents that our Victorians possessed. It undoubtedly took much effort and practise to perform such elaborate and beautifully choreographed performances.

Finally, we absolutely cannot forget our lovely student councillors that led us in singing our Victorian anthem proudly, with gusto and spirit. Leader of the chants that energised us, Avani Moye from 24S54, mentioned, “The atmosphere with our J1s, J2s, the graduating J3s and our alumni singing our anthem as well as participating in our cheers was so thrilling. Leading the ‘Yo VJC’ cheer was definitely a core memory for me. Seeing my fellow Victorians swaying to the college anthem and yelling the school cheer with immense pride was a sight I'll never forget. I have never seen an environment quite as electrifying and I don’t think I ever will again.” This perfectly encapsulates the energy of that moment where we, united as one, bonded over our shared school spirit. 

As the cheers and excitement slowly came to a standstill and the event came to a close, it is a given that College Day marked itself in our memories as a display of excellence. It is a testament to our school spirit, something every Victorian should aspire to emulate. College Day was, is, and will remain foundational to our Victorian identity. A symbol of growth. A symbol of progress. A symbol of achievement. Nil Sine Labore.