Mahime Watanabe (Japan) - Rose Bay Secondary College

I moved to Sydney in 2010 and initially enrolled at Waverley Public School, and progressed to Rose Bay Secondary College where I completed the Higher School Certificate (HSC).
At Rose Bay Secondary College, I was highly involved in extra-curricular activities, which has been the highlight of my schooling. My teachers occasionally joked that I ‘lived at the school’ because of the fact that I came to school early in the morning to attend my dance rehearsals, and stayed back after school every day to attend debating training, musical rehearsal, table tennis training, mock trial practice and more! I was certainly a very busy high school student, however extra-curricular activities have allowed me to discover my passions and develop invaluable skills.
My favourite subject at school was mathematics, and I am now more than half-way on my journey to becoming a mathematics teacher! The mathematics teachers at my high school had been extremely supportive, and allowed me to take part in the acceleration program. The teachers dedicated a lot of time and effort to ensure that I was able to successfully complete Higher School Certificate mathematics while I was in Year 11.

In Year 12, I was elected as the school’s Environment Captain. In this role, I led a group of fellow student representatives to establish environmental initiatives within the school, such as the Environment Group and whole-school World Environment Day fundraiser. This role was a fantastic way to develop my leadership while exploring my passion for sustainability. The Environment Group has now grown into a greater and more successful initiative at the school, and the World Environment Day has continued annually after I graduated. I am very proud to have been a part of the first generation of student-led environmental initiatives at Rose Bay Secondary College, and grateful that the school has continued to nurture this culture of sustainability.
Since completing the Higher School Certificate, I have relocated to Wollongong to study mathematics education. As a Senior Student Leader at a student accommodation, I led a wellbeing program with a focus on environmental sustainability over a year, and currently manage a team of Student Leaders who support the operations of the residence after hours, and the wellbeing of our residential community.
My top advice for any future students moving to Australia to study at a NSW government school would be to always believe in yourself. Being an international student has been, and will always be challenging, as we face countless barriers that domestic students do not face. My Year 6 teacher signed in my yearbook “You will do well in anything that you set your mind to” and I still live by those words.