By Danielle Kutchel
VCE is one of the toughest periods of a student’s life – but the hard work has paid off royally for a Berwick Beaconhills College student.
Sharni Seamons, now in Year 12 at the Berwick Campus, received a Premier’s VCE Award in recognition of her outstanding subject score.
Sharni achieved a perfect score of 50 in VCE Extended Investigation last year.
A second student, Sam Sail, who attends the Pakenham campus, also received an award for his 50 in French.
Extended Investigation is a “very unique” subject, Sharni explained, in which students choose a research question to commit to and produce a mini thesis on that topic by the end of the year.
Sharni chose to investigate female portrayal in pop music videos, and whether this influences the gender role construction of adult women and girls.
Her research question came from her broad interest in feminism.
“I really enjoy writing and it was an opportunity to look into something I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to,” she explained.
While lockdown was a challenge, Sharni said it actually benefited her studies in a way by providing her with plenty of extra time to knuckle down on her thesis.
“It was almost a hobby that kept me occupied during lockdown,” she said.
“I think it was actually advantageous, the way last year played out for me.”
When she saw her final study score of 50, she said she cried in surprise.
“At the end of the year I didn’t come out of it as confident as I was hoping,” she said – so being named one of the top students in the state was a shock.
Now with the end of year 12 looming, she is applying the research and writing skills she picked up as part of the investigation subject, to her final subjects this year.
And after her 2020 experience, she has some sage advice for this year’s VCE cohort.
“Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, you will get out of it.
“There will be an end result and if you put in the work, it will show.”
