By LIA SPENCER
A YOUNG man from Narre Warren South who has been named the state’s top VCAL student of 2012 said he had worked hard to achieve good marks while breaking down stereotypes.
Phillip Kareroa, a former Narre Warren South P-12 College, will be awarded the prestigious VCAL Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement at Senior level at BMW Edge tonight (Thursday).
Phillip, 18, was born and raised in Australia but said many people had underestimated him due to his Pacific Islander background and he wanted to prove them wrong.
“Many people have negative stereotypes of my culture and I was trying to change their mentality and show them who we really are and that we can achieve our dreams,” he said.
Phillip said he was grateful to his senior school assistant principal and VCAL teacher for their support throughout the year.
“I thinking that without the VCAL program and the support from Rob Duncan and Kelly Lackmann, I would be able to achieve any of this,” he said.
“I am sure a lot of the students would agree that without them we could have never achieved as much as we have.”
Mr Duncan commended Phillip on his achievement.
“Our VCAL program at Narre Warren South P-12 College is acknowledged as an outstanding example of applied learning and amongst the very best programs in the state,” he said.
“This is a credit to the students and staff who have been part of this program since its inception at our College in 2006.
“Our most recent winners are to be congratulated on maintaining the high standards of this program”.
Phillip is currently studying youth work after completing Certificates in Business and Event Management while a VCAL student at Narre Warren South P-12.
Narre Warren South P-12 has now won 13 state awards since 2006 for its high quality education program.
More than 200 students are studying a VCAL Certificate at Narre Warren South this year, in addition to the outstanding VCE results.
