Hats off to teachers – “The staff become life mentors”

Trinity teachers are much more than just teachers, and they treat students as much more than just students. 

Alex Christian believes that’s what helped make his school days so rewarding, both personally and academically. 

He developed strong relationships with his teachers as well as classmates, and responded well to being treated like a young adult rather than a child. 

His teachers went the extra mile to become de facto life coaches. 

“The staff are very supportive and genuine,” he said. 

“Especially in Years 11 and 12, the staff become life mentors on top of being teachers, and they have the students’ best interests at heart.” 

That support was particularly evident on the camps he attended in high school. 

“I enjoyed them all. I think it was because at that point I had good mates and could spend more time with them on school programs but not necessarily being governed by strict school rules and schedules. 

“Part of that enjoyment also came from being treated as a young adult rather than a child as we were given more freedom to be ourselves and to do what we wanted more.” 

That fostering and nurture extended to his co-curricular activities including Cadets, Community Service, Track & Field, and especially Fishing Club. 

“My favourite was definitely Fishing Club as it was with good mates, and we always had good chats with each other and with our teachers. 

“My teachers were always willing to support me, answering my questions and giving me necessary feedback. 

“Trinity does a good job of raising men grounded in faith and supporting both academic and athletic needs.” 

He rates his greatest achievement inside school as ranking first in English Advanced in his HSC year. 

“Outside of school it was probably my character development throughout the past few years which has been heavily informed by faith. 

“I’m proud of the effort I put into my academics, but also proud of the person I have become and the mates I have made. 

“I really enjoyed English, due to classmates and teachers making the class more enjoyable.” 

He chose to study for the HSC because he could complete four units, through Extension 2 Maths, in Year 11. 

“That allowed me to completely focus on my remaining subjects in Year 12 with lots of time. 

“This is only beneficial though if you use your time properly and don’t waste it in the free periods. 

“I just made sure I made use of most of my free periods to do the work I needed to do.” 

Physics presented his greatest challenge, and despite putting a lot of work into it he was unsure how his results would end up. 

“I never got too stressed while studying, but my daily runs were definitely useful and helped my mind rest. 

“I credit myself for going home and putting in time to consolidate the content and do relevant questions. 

“My teachers would also then mark my responses and give me feedback to improve, which was very beneficial.” 

His best memory? “Nothing beats lunchtime footy and kick-ups with mates.” 

He thanked his parents for their hard work and sacrifice for him and his older brother and sister. 

He already has some employment experience, having worked for his chemist father in most school holidays. 

He plans to spend his summer break going away with mates and playing lots of golf, and has applied for a Co-op scholarship at UNSW.