Alex Butler took on three major works for her HSC and is extremely happy with the results.
Knowing that she enjoyed projects, Alex tackled English Extension 2, Drama and Aboriginal Studies, despite advice that major works could drain her time and energy.
“Play to your strengths,” she said, when asked what advice she would like to share about doing well in the HSC.
“Taking three courses with major works was the highlight of my year. I know I enjoy projects over exams. It’s about what works for the individual.”
Alex joined IGS in Year 11 after spending the Covid years in Beijing where her father was working.
She and her family chose IGS because it was coeducational and flexible, with many arts options.
“IGS really appealed to us,” she said.
Alex made friends quickly by throwing herself into some of the creative teamwork opportunities, including the annual IGS musical and the Shakespeare production, Twelfth Night.
By selecting Drama as a subject, Alex spent a lot of time in the School’s new drama theatre, rehearsing her group performance and individual performance.
“I love the drama community. Being in a production is a way to make friends quickly.
“There is so much more to Drama than performance. I also discovered I love playwriting.”
With an ATAR of 93.5, Alex hopes to study the combined degrees of Bachelor of Arts (Theatre and Performance) and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Indigenous Studies).
“At a certain level, every Australian has a duty to invest as much as they can to learn as much as they can about Indigenous peoples and the political and social onslaught they face.”
She said she “would struggle to sit still” without doing everything she could to learn more and hopefully achieve change for the better.
Alex’s English major work was a collection of four short stories set in a lighthouse around the seasons.
For her Drama major work, Alex wrote a play, On Girls and God, exploring three friends’ views about religion and friendship.
And for her Aboriginal Studies major work, Alex interviewed women in Redfern and created a play about the struggles of an Aboriginal mother, her daughters and their children.
The IGS community wishes Alex and her entire cohort all the very best for their future.