Nicole Yang (China) - Mosman High School

As the winner of the 2024 NSW Government Schools International Student School Service Award, I felt genuinely honoured and delighted. I would like to share with you my beloved journey in NSW.

Mosman High School, a beautiful NSW government school by the seaside, is where I made the fondest memories of my three years of senior school life. When I first entered this school, I was a child, struggling to adapt to the English language environment. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I not only found it difficult to integrate into the local culture, but also struggled to make friends at school. Looking back at that time, I genuinely believe that without the support and friendliness of Mosman High School towards international students, I would not have achieved so much thereafter.

I enjoyed every subject I chose, and studying these subjects in school brought me satisfaction and happiness. I loved discussing topics with my teachers and genuinely enjoyed the joy of learning through communication with them.

Studying Japanese, I felt the charm of language, enabling me to understand other cultures and see the world from different perspectives. I made a firm determination to continue my Japanese language study after the HSC by participating in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and I successfully obtained the N2 certificate. I also participated in Japanese speech competitions, continuing to improve my proficiency in Japanese.

My art teacher was a guiding light for my self-development. The school's art department provided me with immense support, acknowledging my ideas and abilities. Every art assignment, regardless of how strange or imaginative my ideas were, was supported and encouraged by them. This helped me strengthen my love for art and achieve good results in the Mosman Art Prize, being a finalist once and receiving two second place awards, leaving no regrets in my high school art pursuits.

From Year 11 onwards, Biology became one of the subjects I looked forward to the most. My biology teacher's dedication to teaching made me fall in love with studying the human body and nature, giving me more motivation to delve into life sciences. This enthusiasm propelled me from being average in Biology in the beginning to consistently ranking in the top three of my grade. My interest in biology also led me to choose Diagnostic Radiography as a health-related major.

These positive experiences and the support from the school gave me more motivation to give back to the school. I began actively participating in school activities, such as being a Buddy to help newly arrived international students adjust to school, serving as a Tutor to help younger students learn, joining the Social Justice Club to help promote the school's cultural atmosphere, participating in the Leadership Council, being a member of the Visual Art Committee to help develop the school's art, and actively engaging in various volunteer activities outside of school, such as assisting the local community at the Mosman Youth Centre.

Living in New South Wales, Australia, over these past few years of my student life has made me more outgoing, willing to express myself, unafraid of challenges, and eager to become better. Through these years of experience, I have found genuine happiness in contributing to the school and discovered how fulfilling it is to help others.

Now, I have successfully gained admission to the Medical Imaging program at the University of Sydney. As a student in the health field, my knowledge of biology from high school has also been further developed.

I am grateful for the wonderful experiences provided by NSW. In the future, I will continue to pursue my dreams. After graduation, I will remain my original aspirations, do my utmost to help others, and help myself!

To future international high school students in New South Wales, my advice is not to be afraid. Everyone has the potential to shine their brightest here!