The Standard

Excellence of any kind always starts with character

Excellence of any kind always starts with character
Excellence of any kind always starts with character

It's no secret that many schools use their scholarship programs to attract the creme de la creme, be they gifted sportsmen or the academically astute.

With a rigorous selection process a school can often benefit just as much, sometimes even more so, than the lucky students being afforded the opportunity.

That's why The Hamilton and Alexandra College focus on one thing above all else when assessing applications: Character.

The school is currently accepting applications for both general excellence and boarding scholarships for 2021 (applications close on March 27).

Principal Dr Andrew Hirst says what he's looking for is young people with a sense of community, those who will excel in all aspects of school life and help make the College a better place to live and learn.

Excellence of any kind always starts with character
Excellence of any kind always starts with character

"Scholarships are traditionally about talent identification however there can be a misconception about the degree of talent people feel they must be representing," Dr Hirst explained.

"You can always build on skills and teach knowledge, character is what I'm looking for... Our primary goal is helping young people become great adults," he continued.

"We're acutely aware that this is an enormous financial commitment and sacrifice for families. That's why we want to best support those students who want to become the best version of themselves."

The Hamilton and Alexandra College is located in Victoria's Western District and is renowned for its academic excellence.

In 2019 all of their Year 12 Students received their VCE, with one in five scoring higher than 90 and 64 percent of students achieving an ATAR greater than 70.

The college also offers a wide range of co-curricular activities including Sports, Music, Performance, Outdoor Education, Equestrian and Aviation.

EXCELLENCE: Year 12 boarding student Olivia Biggs and her horse Grace.
EXCELLENCE: Year 12 boarding student Olivia Biggs and her horse Grace.

Year 12 student Olivia Biggs, from Bendigo, has been a boarder since in 2018 and has loved the experience.

She says the College has given her the opportunity to not only achieve academically but also follow her passions too.

Olivia loves re-training harness horses, so having the school's equestrian centre on the same site as the boarding house was a huge drawcard for her.

"Working with retired horses gives them a second chance and living at the boarding house allows me to ride my horse, Grace, every day," Olivia said.

"During the week it's always busy with different sports and activities and on the weekends, I enjoy going on trail rides and relaxing with the other boarders," she continued.

"During school term, I take aviation lessons, sing in the choir and love playing basketball. When I finish school, I hope to become a commercial pilot and I have chosen my VCE subjects with this pathway in mind."

Dr Hirst says Olivia's experience is an example of how the school encourages students to explore personal interests and make connections.

Excellence of any kind always starts with character
Excellence of any kind always starts with character

"We seek the best for and from every student and we remain determined that every student develops a strong appreciation for the importance of respect, gratitude, compassion, resilience and optimism," Dr Hirst said.

"Learning remains our core focus and centres us on achieving high academic performance while simultaneously providing boys and girls with connectedness in life," he continued.

"So, while I celebrate our impressive 2019 VCE results, with a boarder receiving Dux with an ATAR of 99.65, l also promote our Year 9 China Experience and Year 10 Central Australia expedition where we put the children into unpredictable situations and challenge them to build resilience, find solutions and put practice into reality."

The Hamilton and Alexandra College is co-educational day and boarding, from Early Learning to Year 12. The school has a proud history of providing quality education for 148 years.

To find out more, attend the Open Morning on Wednesday, March 11. Applications are also open for 2021 academic, general excellence and boarding scholarships. Academic excellence deadline is February 7, with all other scholarships open until March 27.

To find out more, visit: www.hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au