Victorian Premier’s Awards have been bestowed on 250 students from across the state who have excelled in their VCE exams.
Among them is Maria Mazis, a Greek schoolgirl who migrated just a few years ago to Australia.
“I arrived here with my family in July 2012 after finishing the third year of Greek high school,” Ms Mazis said.
“When I came here I went back to ninth grade, mid-year.”
Maria says that she encountered a completely different reality in Australia, as the educational system has almost nothing in common with its Greek counterpart.
She went to the Language Centre to assess her standard of English.
“I was studying English since I was 8 years old,” she said during an interview with SBS Radio.
“My level of reading comprehension and writing skills were quite good, however my ability to speak has improved significantly thanks to my teachers.”
Three years later, she is attending year 12 and not only has she managed to reach the level of her English-speaking classmates but she exceeded her teachers’ expectations with a score of 47/50.
“My dream is to pursue medicine and biochemistry, and it takes a great deal of effort,” she said.
“I’ve always been a good student, but being in a new country with so many opportunities has inspired me to work even harder.”