General News
21 December, 2024
Dux prevails after challenges
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College Dux Jaidyn Scott is proof despite what life throws at you, if you keep your eye on the goal and focused, you can achieve great things.
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College Dux Jaidyn Scott is proof despite what life throws at you, if you keep your eye on the goal and focused, you can achieve great things.
Jaidyn attended Prep to Year 3 at St Peter's Lutheran School, Dimboola, before moving to Bendigo after his mother passed.
"I skipped a chunk of Grade 4 but completed a term or so at one of the schools there before returning to Dimboola to complete Grade 5 to 7 at Dimboola Memorial Secondary College (DMSC)," Jaidyn shared.
COVID restrictions and further events meant Jaidyn had to go back to Bendigo, where he missed almost another year of schooling, only managing do do bits and pieces online.
"Finally I returned to DMSC to finish my education in secondary from Years 9 to 12, effectively skipping a couple of years of my journey in schooling, but demonstrating resilience by remaining among the best of my class," Jaidyn added.
Jaidyn said in Year 10 he completed Units 1 and 2 (Year 11) of Psychology, which he enjoyed thoroughly.
"As a result of doing well in that class I was able to continue to pursue that pathway in Year 11 by completing Units 3/4 (Year 12) via distance learning, as well as taking on Year 11 English, Mathematical Methods, Legal Studies, Physical Education and Physics," he said.
Jaidyn was also part of the student leadership and voice group at DMSC and used his lunch and recess to capture photos to contribute to the newsletter at school.
"In Year 12, I struggled with managing the (Maths) Methods class and so I decided to switch to Media, in which I managed to excel," he said.
"This year I also completed the required English class, and continued with Legal Studies, Physical Education and Physics."
Jaidyn describes his last year of schooling as "quite a wild adventure", and said the pressure in Year 12 to compete against 70,000 fellow VCE students and get a high score was daunting.
He said this year was one of the most stressful, but exciting and fun years, he has had yet.
"Being a regional, relatively small school, we have been able to build these close bonds with our fellow peers and with the teachers as well," Jaidyn said.
"In class, there was always a time to be serious and get work done, but yet there was always time to chat and discuss things with everyone, making jokes with each teacher and everyone getting involved to make some sort of remark.
"This year I've laughed some of the hardest laughs I ever have and created so many lasting memories which I will cherish for numerous years."
Last Thursday, Jaidyn logged into his Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) account and viewed his scores for each subject before moving to the next page to find his ATAR.
"At the time I was home alone but soon afterward I got a call from the school to inform me that I would be receiving the DMSC 2024 DUX award, afterwhich I immediately called my father and told him of the good news which he was quite proud of," Jaidyn said.
Jaidyn was aiming for an ATAR over 80, and managed this, meaning he will now be able to pursue his dream of a career in law and/or psychology.
Close to 76,000 students sat exams this year, with nearly 47,500 completing their VCE.
The average ATAR for this year was 69.52, just up from the average last year of 69.41.
Forty-one students achieved the highest possible rank of 99.95, up from 39 last year.
