St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

St Ursula's College welcomes home one of its ownAdvertising Feature

St Ursula's College alumna and now principal, Ms Vivienne Awad. Picture supplied
St Ursula's College alumna and now principal, Ms Vivienne Awad. Picture supplied

St Ursula's College Kingsgrove has welcomed home one of its own as alumna, Ms Vivienne Awad, returns to the College as the new principal.

Ms Awad graduated from St Ursula's College in 1980 and has fond memories of her time at the College as a student.

Prior to returning to St Ursula's, Ms Awad was principal at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington and Domremy Catholic College in Five Dock.

Now as principal of St Ursula's College, she hopes to build on the College's strong reputation for graduating confident, lifelong learners with a moral conscience, who are ready to create a more just and peaceful world.

St Ursula's College Kingsgrove will be holding its annual Open Day event for prospective families on March 6 between 3.30pm and 6pm followed by Campus Tours on Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8 between 9am and 10.30am.

Open Day is an opportunity to experience and hear all that College life has to offer, directly from the current teachers and students.

2023 proved to be another successful year for HSC results, with the College ranking fourth within all of Sydney Systemic Catholic Schools and 76th on the SMH list of Top 150 Schools in the state.

Five students were named All Round Achievers, having scored a band six result in 10 or more units, four students placed first in a subject within Sydney Catholic Schools and 84 students received a mark of over 90 in one or more subjects.

St Ursula's College principal, Ms Vivienne Awad, has said, "The school community is proud of our 2023 graduates and their outstanding academic success. There has been enormous growth across the cohort.

"It is evident that their success was not only due to the hard work of the students but also the expertise, dedication and support of the teachers at the College."

St Ursula's College Dux of 2023, Jacqueline Keir, was delighted to receive her ATAR result of 99.4. She believes her success was attributed to always giving 100 per cent and trying her best.

She thanks her teachers for their infectious enthusiasm and ongoing motivation, reassurance and encouragement.

"My teachers offered lots of encouragement and support particularly during the roller coaster that is the HSC year. They helped maintain a positive attitude throughout," Jacqueline said. "St Ursula's has an amazing community and I was fortunate to form many strong friendships while at the College."

After being accelerated in mathematics and completing her HSC Extension 2 Mathematics in 2022, Jacqueline was able to use the extra time to focus on her other subjects.

Jacqueline's hard work proved to be a success when she received four early offers into university. Jacqueline was then offered and accepted a Bachelor of Commerce and Law at Sydney University which she has decided to defer.

She is spending her gap year working full-time at a medical centre to gain practical experience and study for the UCAT exam as her ultimate goal is to study medicine.

Those attending the upcoming Open Day and Campus Tours can expect to learn all about what makes St Ursula's College an optimal choice for their daughter.

Information will be available on programs including the Newman Selective Gifted Education Program, Future Pathways Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

They will also get the opportunity to tour the College's facilities, which include newly renovated visual art spaces, a recently installed outdoor gym and refurbished, modern classrooms.

For more information and to register for the Open Day and Campus Tours, or to learn more about St Ursula's College, visit stursulakingsgrove.syd.catholic.edu.au.