On Wednesday evening, 18 October, our Year 12 students celebrated their final chapter at the College. Students, family, and friends gathered at the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the Graduation Liturgy, Awards Presentations and Graduation Ceremony.
The liturgy commenced with Father Con and a selection of the students leading in prayer. They asked God to guide them and their peers to use their gifts and talents to achieve their goals, and to have the strength to overcome any obstacles that they may face in the future. The liturgy concluded with Father Con blessing all of the Year 12 students.
Our Lady of Mercy College Choir, led by Mrs Tanya Kavanagh, sang Companions on the Journey, by Carey Landry, after which the official Presentation of Awards Ceremony commenced.
Please find here an overview of the awards presented during the evening and their recipients:
College Colours
The following students were awarded Academic Colours in recognition for their excellent academic achievements and efforts;
Conlan Bailey
Kade Cataldo
Noah Mills
Lucas Pierce
Dhairya Shah
Jack Vitali
Emma Wilson
Students who were awarded Community Colours for the outstanding contributions they have made to the College community were;
Conlan Bailey
Ryan Case
Kade Cataldo
Mikaela Caton
Henry King
Taya Larkman
Charlie McDonald
Jorja Mulholland
Carol Tomas
The next group of students were awarded Faith Colours for their contributions to faith-based initiatives at the College;
Conlan Bailey
Emily Battista
Kade Cataldo
Lily Corso
Henry King
Taya Larkman
Charlie McDonald
Saraya O’Donnell-Fry
Students who receive all three Colours are presented with Honours. This year, two students attained this prestigious award; Conlan Bailey and Kade Cataldo.
Year 12 Awards
Ryan Case Mercy Values Award Taya Larkman Christian Service Award
Taya Larkman Long Tan Award
Dhairya Shah Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award
Academic Excellence Awards
Conlan Bailey Biology ATAR
Emily Battista Drama ATAR
Literature ATAR
Visual Arts ATAR
Ella Birkinshaw Maths Essential General
Mason Bowles Applied Information Technology ATAR
Geography General
Kade Cataldo Music ATAR
Hannah Cornwall Geography ATAR
Human Biology ATAR
Maths Applications ATAR
Isabella Evans English ATAR
Psychology ATAR
Tasha Gunson Certificate III Early Childhood Education & Care
Abigail Jones Certificate II Hospitality
Emily Kenney Psychology General
Taya Larkman Building and Construction General
Certificate II Outdoor Recreation
Certificate III Sport and Recreation
Franchesca Lazado Religion and Life General
Alyssa Liddelow Visual Arts General
Ethan McEwen Economic ATAR
Maths Methods ATAR
Jorja Mulholland Certificate III Music
Georgia Mumme Business Management & Enterprise General
Samuel Nankivell Materials Design & Technology Metals General
Chelsey North Certificate III Business
Drama General
Gabriella Payne English General
Lucas Pierce Physical Education Studies ATAR
Lexie Sara Human Biology General
Jack Vitali Chemistry ATAR
Emma Wilson Religion and Life ATAR
Major College Awards
Academic Distinction
Presented to Year 12 students who have achieved 14 or more A grades across Year 11 and 12 or their equivalent in General and VET Courses.
The recipient of Academic Distinctions is:
Ella Birkinshaw
Proxime Accessit
Awarded to the student who has achieved the second highest academic result in Year 12, in the General and ATAR pathways.
The student receiving the Proxime Accessit for the General Pathway is:
Ella Birkinshaw
The student receiving the Proxime Accessit for the ATAR Pathway is:
Kade Cataldo
Sporting Excellence Award
The Senior Sporting Excellence Award is presented to students in Years 10, 11 or 12 who have achieved outstanding results whilst representing the College and have shown a high level of leadership and sportsmanship.
This year the Senior Sporting Excellence Award goes to Thomas Cross.
Dux
Awarded to the student who has achieved the highest final academic results in Year 12 in General and ATAR pathways.
The Dux for the General pathway is: Gabriella Payne The Dux for the ATAR pathway is: Isabella Evans
Marcellin Champagnat
The next major award is named after St Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers. Although our College has adopted the charism of the Mercy Sisters, it is important to remember that through our link with Bunbury Catholic College, the Marist charism has also been an important part of our foundation.
This award is given to one student, from any year group across the College, in recognition of their resilience and endeavour to be the best they can be despite the many challenges they have faced.
The winner of this award is: Grace Pritchard
Mercy Education
The Mercy Education Award is presented to a Year 12 student who has demonstrated leadership in the Mercy tradition and espoused the core values of Mercy Education. Tonight’s recipient is an excellent example of what it means to follow The Mercy Way. They have been a member of the Ministry Team, reading and singing at various liturgies throughout the year as well as a key member of the College Vocal Ensemble. They consistently treat all members of the College community with respect and compassion and contribute regularly to the fundraising activities held at the College. This person has also been an excellent leader as College Captain.
This award is presented to: Sophia Tomas
Ursula Frayne
The Ursula Frayne Award is named after the first Mother Superior of the Mercy Sisters in Australia. Arriving in Perth in 1846, the Mercy sisters overcame many challenges to establish their religious order nationwide.
This award is given to a Year 12 student who has displayed leadership qualities and contributed to the College’s co-curricular programme. The recipient tonight has been a member of the Mercy Justice Team and the College Vocal Ensemble. They have represented the College in Tournament of the Minds teams and assisted with coaching younger students in this activity. They volunteered for The Smith Family Buddy Reading program and has taken on the role of a Read House leader. Perhaps their most notable contribution has been their involvement in the College productions of Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This student has also held the role of Service Captain this year.
This award is presented to: Conlan Bailey
O’Meara Shield
The O’Meara Shield recognises a Year 12 student who is characterised by their overall commitment to the College pillars of Embracing Life, Nurturing Faith and Inspiring Learning.
This year’s recipient has represented the College in a range of co-curricular activities including: Tournament of the Minds, the College Vocal Ensemble and the College productions of Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, They have been involved in the Ministry Team as an Extraordinary Minister and assisted at numerous liturgies. Their knowledge of setting up audio and visual equipment for various College events has been invaluable. This student has been recognised for their outstanding results across a range of learning areas by attaining numerous awards for Academic Excellence and Certificates of Merit. Finally, this person has demonstrated strong leadership skills by being elected to a range of roles culminating in their appointment as Arts Captain for 2023.
The winner of this award is: Kade Cataldo
Congratulations to all award recipients.
After the Award ceremony the evening continued with the Graduation Ceremony.
Mr Rob Crothers welcomed all the guests and spoke to the students about how the six years at high school have functioned as building blocks in their lives. He encouraged the students to continue to build an amazing attitude to life and wished them all the hapiness for the future.
Students Ryan Case and Emily Kenney shared their reflection on their Mercy Journey with all.
College Captains, Henry King and Sophia Tomas, took the opportunity during their address to thank the staff and teachers;
'To our Head of Year, Mrs Louise Branson, for your work in shaping who we are today. We know that there have been times in the past six years that we have made you want to pull out your hair, and times when we are lucky that you had the mercy to forgive us. There are simply too few words in the English language to express the degree to which we are indebted to you, and the only way we can repay that debt is by living our lives in a way that you would be proud of. So, to Mrs Branson, thank you for influencing us to make good decisions in the past and in the future.
And finally, we thank our peers, our friends. We are thankful that we had the privilege to spend the last six years with you and to graduate with you this evening. Looking at our cohort, it is clear that everyone has grown so much since Year 7, and as we go out, we can say that the world will be better for it. So, congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2023 for fighting the fight that is high school and coming out on top. Thank you and farewell.'
They then invited their peers to stand up and recite a commitment to following The Mercy Way together:
"As graduates of Our Lady of Mercy College, we are part of a long tradition of Mercy Education, which has at its core, the teachings of Jesus Christ.
We promise to be ever mindful of The Mercy Way, in the many settings in which we find ourselves.
May the values of respect, compassion, hospitality, justice, service and courage be reflected in our words and actions.
May we follow Catherine McAuley’s example of a living faith, burning brightly.
May we endeavor to embrace life, nurture our faith and be inspired to become life-long learners.
Finally, in the words of Catherine, may we “resolve to do good today and be better tomorrow”.
CONGRATULATIONS to all graduating students. The entire College community is extremely proud of all your efforts and achievements throughout your learning journey at Our Lady of Mercy College.
We wish you every success in the future and the best of luck.
