Recently, our Student Executive Council for 2025 attended their Inauguration Service at Christ Church, officially taking over their responsibilities from the Class of 2024. The 2025 SEC will be lead by School Captain, Stephanie Fourlanos, and Vice Captains Amelie Maddock and Shuying Jiang.
Stephanie, Amelie and Shuying have consistently been active participants in all facets of MGGS school life throughout their years at Merton Hall. We chatted to them about their fondest memories so far, their advice for their peers and their hopes for next year and beyond.
Enjoy this Q & A with Stephanie, Amelie and Shuying!
When did you start at MGGS?
Amelie: I began the school in Term 3 of Year 6 which was in 2019.
Shuying: I started at MGGS in Year 7. I went to a local public co-ed primary school before coming to MGGS, so it was quite a big change transitioning to high school, and a huge step out of my comfort zone.
Stephanie: I started at Melbourne Girls Grammar in Year 7, back in 2020. I recall how incredibly excited I was to start high school, especially with a few familiar faces from orientation, yet certainly did not expect to spend what felt like a majority of my first year at home!
What is your favourite thing about the School, apart from your friends of course?
Amelie: My favourite thing about this School is the range of co-curricular activities here, which has meant that I’ve explored so many different experiences and so many opportunities. After participating in many GSV sports through Middle Years I discovered that ball sports were not my strong suit! However, I found out that Athletics and Cross Country was something that I enjoyed and it was a way to get fit and chat. I have made some of my best friends running 10km long runs on rainy Friday mornings!
I have also partaken in the Music and Drama departments, where I got to make friends with so many people in different year levels and build such an incredible community. Whether it’s being part of the chorus or a lead role, the school productions are so much fun and it’s amazing to watch everything come together.
Stephanie: I’ve been exceptionally fortunate to have had amazing teachers at MGGS, who have been huge contributors to my overall school experience and academic performance. This year in particular, as a Year 11 student, I’ve learnt the importance of leaning on your teachers for support and guidance.
Moreover, participating in GSV Weekly Sport has also been really fun. I have been able to try a range of new sports and meet many new girls who are now some of my closest friends. I have to admit it’s also pretty fun to compete against your friends from other schools too!
Who is your favourite teacher?
Amelie: My favourite teacher is Mrs Page, my Drama teacher. I am currently undertaking Drama Units 3/4 in Year 11 and she has been such a big support to me and my entire class. I can’t even begin to explain how grateful we all are for Mrs Page. Once, on the week before our ensemble SAC, she came in on a Saturday morning just to make sure we were prepared. She is so unbelievably dedicated and her support has lead us through countless chaotic SACs and more recently, our performance exams. I can’t even express how incredible Mrs Page is, she has been there through our laughs, tears and always has something to chat about. I know that we are all so appreciative of her hard work and we are sad to be finishing our time with her soon.
Shuying: I really like all my teachers, especially stepping into VCE. The School ensures that teachers are all knowledgeable in their domain and can create an immersive learning environment. For me, my favourite teacher would be Ms Jiang, who teaches me for Methods and Specialist Maths. Partly this is attributed to the fact that I enjoy maths, but it’s also undeniable that Ms Jiang supports us through her immaculate organisation of class time and provision of resources, which is particularly reassuring as we prepare for the final Methods exam.
Stephanie: Following my last answer, this is evidently such a difficult question! Ms Nguyen and Ms Bray are two of my favourites. I first had Ms Bray in Year 8 Geography, and quickly uncovered that we have a mutual bond of being avid Collingwood supporters. Whilst I haven’t had Ms Bray as a classroom teacher since then, she has remained one those teachers I can always count on for advice, but more importantly have a laugh and a debrief of the AFL matches every Monday morning, including the controversial umpiring calls!
As for Ms Nguyen, I only met her this year – she is my Psychology Unit 3/4 teacher. We got along really well from the beginning. She is, first and foremost, very well-versed in all things psychology, but is also an incredibly lovely person who is always happy to provide support, entertainment and sound advice, which I have appreciated immensely over this past year. Ms Nguyen’s teaching alone is one of the things I will miss most about Psychology when I finish my exam in a few days time!
What is your favourite subject?
Amelie: My favourite subject is Biology, which I am currently undertaking as a Year 12 subject. As someone who would like to pursue a career in the health system, Unit 4 Biology has been my favourite as I have been able to explore the immune system which is so incredibly interesting. Biology never ceases to amaze me and the practicals that we complete are always so interesting. In one of our SACs, we got to perform and experiment testing the efficacy of antibiotics in comparison to natural remedies on certain types of bacteria which was exciting. It is a class where I can genuinely learn something new every day and be interested.
Shuying: It’s really interesting to look back and see the journey Maths has taken me on. From primary school, we started with basic counting and were shocked to learn that there’s numbers less than, and in between 0, 1, 2, 3. We added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. Later, shapes, symbols and letters started being introduced. I still remember, in primary school, staring at my older brother’s maths homework in awe, wondering when I would learn what half those symbols meant. Now, I can use his past homework as my own study material. Maths has really allowed me to reflect on how much I have learned and grown, and that satisfaction makes it one of my favourite subjects.
Stephanie: From a young age, I have always really liked English at school, therefore Literature has been a pleasant challenge this year. Especially, with a wonderful teacher like Ms. Arnott, whom I have now had for three years, I’m constantly encouraged to continue developing and fine-tuning my writing skills, given she has witnessed a lot of my analytical progression. Additionally, my peers and I are often blown away by Ms Arnott’s extensive historical knowledge as she extrapolates the most niche of references in a text, which makes the actual class that much more enjoyable.
Furthermore, despite being a current favourite of mine, the choice to study Psychology came very last minute. Truthfully, I wasn’t initially convinced I would like it very much. How glad I am I made that decision! It’s one of those subjects that I feel as though my level of enjoyment for it alone, is enough to help me excel, which is incredibly rewarding and justifies why I recommend it to many others.
What is your favourite co-curricular program to be part of?
Amelie: In the past two years, I have taken part in Cross Country, Athletics, Choirs, Snowsports and School Productions and all of these have been incredible. The annual Cross Country Camp is always one of my highlights as it is full of so much exercise, cold swims and Uno games. Throughout the year, I love being part of the School Productions as it is where I have been able to make some amazing friends in the year level above and below. I am so sad to say goodbye to all the Year 12s and am so grateful for the countless experiences I have had through performances with them.
Shuying: I’m part of the Athletics program, which is open to Years 7 to 12. My favourite part about it is the friends that I have made. I entered the program to stay fit and socialise with my friends, and I’ve now strengthened those friendships and made many new ones. I’ve even gotten to know so many younger Grammarians through my connection to Athletics, and it reflects the interconnected culture of MGGS.
Stephanie: Tennis has always been my favourite sport to play, both recreationally and competitively. My passion for playing tennis, came from my Mum who loved it. As a young kid, whenever I was at my grandparents’ house, I would gaze at all of Mum’s racquet-shaped trophies, wishing to do the same. It’s hard to tell if I caught up to Mum in her prime, but tennis remains my favourite sport and I have met some amazing friends and coaches along the way, which has made the experience that much better. It’s such a great sport to know how to play, as many carry it into adulthood.
What is one goal you have for next year?
Amelie: One of my goals next year is to better the relationships between Wildfell, Middle Years and Senior Years. I think this can be done through participating in co-curriculars, as I know that when I was younger, I looked up to the ‘big girls’ so much. I have been able to meet so many Middle Years students through Snowsports and Athletics, and I think by creating better relationships between the different year levels in sports, it will encourage a greater participation overall. To implement this, I will continue to show up to these co-curriculars, but more broadly, encourage Senior Years to participate as well. Being a part of activities within the School enables you to grow your connections, and in my opinion, makes your school experience better.
Stephanie: I really enjoyed having a buddy system in my primary school, because it’s such a great way to increase connections students. As a young student, I adored my buddy and looked up to her as a role model, but mostly appreciated simply seeing another familiar face around, hence why I believe implementing this initiative would be beneficial to strengthening our school community. No doubt that the older girls will be just as excited to work with the younger students and vice versa!
What advice would you give to all Senior Years students going into exams soon?
Amelie: All exams are just practice for Year 12 and therefore my advice would be to take them with a grain of salt, they are good practice and although stressful, it is still important to take time to be with your friends at School. I know that myself and many others do work at lunchtime, especially as exams are coming up, which can sometimes mean you feel like you have been stuck inside all day. One of my favourite ways to study at lunchtime is to study outside as it means getting a bit of sun and fresh air and is much more lively than the Learning Commons.
Shuying: Don’t cram! It’s difficult balancing so many subjects, but your future self will thank you if you manage keep up with homework and regularly interspaced revision all year, instead of fitting a whole semester’s worth of content in one week, or even a day! I know this might sound outrageous, but enjoy the process. Look at how much you’ve learnt over the semester and don’t let that overwhelm you, instead take pride in it and let that empower you and assure you that you are capable of acing your exams. Carrying confidence into your exams will be your first step to success.
Stephanie: My advice is to take it each day at a time. Try not to dwell on the future or what’s happening in two weeks’ time, be tentative but not overly anxious. It’s effective to set small goals for yourself that you are confident you can achieve, including some time to unwind, exercise or connect with friends and family. Achieving these small milestones each day will help provide the sense of successfully working towards something.
What sort of legacy do you hope the 2025 SEC will leave behind?
Amelie: The 2025 SEC is an amazing group of people, and I am so unbelievably honoured to be a part of it. I hope that we leave a legacy of optimism and encouragement. Our SEC is filled with people who participate in so many areas of the school community and always have a smile on their faces. I hope that our SEC can be remembered as approachable, kind and always smiling and cheering everyone on.
Shuying: I think the 2025 SEC will reflect how our community can thrive despite hardship. As the year level that transitioned into high school during COVID times, our socialisation was heavily impacted and there was an underlying feeling of isolation, even when we could finally physically return to school. However, our cohort has been able to recover and flourish despite these difficult times, forming a deep connection that I will miss immensely when we graduate. Not only that, but our year level has also connected with other year levels, reflecting the interconnectedness that MGGS fosters.
Stephanie: It’s safe to say the SEC of 2025 are an incredibly enthusiastic and dedicated group, and we’re excited to lead our School together next year. There are big shoes to fill, yet it is my hope that we can continue to fortify the sense of interconnectedness present in our community, which our current Year 12s each committed to fostering.
