4 November 2020
The Class of 2019 know exactly what it’s like to be in the 2020 leavers’ shoes so we checked in with Emma Tam, Jeremy Thomas, Nellie Shute, Jessica Coombe and Angus King to see what they’ve been up to since graduating from Pembroke.
Emma Tam
What are you up to now?
I’m currently living in San Francisco studying with students from all over the world at Minerva University!
Do you have a favourite memory of your time at Pembroke?
I have too many fond memories to recall, and remembering them always fills me with so much warmth. One that I think captures what I loved most though, was sorting thousands of letters from students each other in our Leavers’ Week and being able to give each Year 12 an envelope full of words of kindness and gratitude at the end of our final assembly.
What does 2021 look like for you?
As of now (because as we’ve seen this year, who knows what will happen!), I’m staying in SF for the first semester, hoping to spend the summer (Aus winter) in New York with some friends whilst doing an arts or education internship, moving to Seoul for the second semester, and fingers crossed, returning home at point to see everyone I miss so much and work at the bookshop!
Jeremy Thomas
What are you up to now?
I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Musical Theatre at the University of Adelaide and I am currently preparing for the final assessments for the year. Including dance exams, an acting showcase and singing multiple songs in an audition-like environment. I have also helped the Second years film a feature-length movie throughout my holiday break for one of their main assessments where I was on the lighting team. I am also in the midst of rehearsal for our Songs and Scenes showcase which is prison themed. As I’m sure you can tell I am constantly keeping busy.
Do you have a favourite memory of your time at Pembroke?
No surprise that my favourite memory from Pembroke would be in Year 12 drama. Realising I performed in Thursday well over a year ago is quite a shock to me but will always be one of my fondest memories. However, I also miss many of my teachers and carry great pride that I went to such a wonderful school.
What does 2021 look like for you?
Next year, I will be continuing my degree (hopefully not online). Where I will be learning new skills such as stage combat, ballroom dancing and many more. Along with the opportunity to perform in a full Musical which our Course coordinator is yet to decide on.
Nellie Shute and Jessica Coombe
What are you up to now?
We are currently writing to you from our hostel kitchen in Airlie Beach, North Queensland! After working for the better half of this year, we started in Cairns about a month ago (loved it so much we stayed two weeks longer than planned!) and honestly we might never come home! Last year we deferred our courses with the intentions of travelling Europe for six months. Obviously that didn’t happen so we decided to pack our bags and head to the East Coast instead.
Out trip so far has entailed many waterfalls, cliff jumps, snorkelling, sunrise wake ups on the beach, budget meals, boats and more. Although the highlight has definitely been meeting people from all over the world, Argentina, Spain, Ireland, Germany and more! (Teaching them some Aussie slang has proven to be very entertaining – they particularly love the term “chuck” and “flabbergasted”)
Do you have a favourite memory of your time at Pembroke?
We definitely miss the community aspect of Pembroke the most. You don’t realise how special your relationships with your friends and teachers are until you leave and how lucky you are to see them everyday. Even though leaving school is scary there is so much out there to explore and we would encourage anyone to take a year to focus on yourself and what you want from life, through this trip we have grown so much more independent and we’ve realised what truly matters.
What does 2021 look like for you?
Both of us have intentions of going to uni but we have realised through travelling and meeting many new people from different walks of life that our futures don’t have to be so linear. We also have realised that if you don’t know what you want to do after school, that is completely normal and most people we’ve met don’t know what they want to do when they are 25.
Best wishes to the class of 2020! Our biggest piece of advice is to not let the next month or two of exams take over your life, you’ve heard this 1000 times, but they don’t define you or your future in the slightest, that’s up to you!
Angus King
What are you up to now?
Before I finished Year 12 I decided that I wanted to take a gap year between school and university. My main goal for the year was to work as much as possible to earn some money and then at some point go travelling overseas, though these plans were quickly thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I was lucky enough however to get a job at St Andrews Hospital which I was thrilled about, seeing as Health is the industry that I wish to enter into after university. The rest of the year I have spent just working as much as I can which has been an amazing experience in itself, as I've learnt a lot about what nurses and doctors do on a day-to-day basis, and I have actually enjoyed the role I have, which makes going to work a lot easier. It has also solidified my desire to pursue a career in Medicine in the future, and as such during the year I have sat the UCAT exam and applied for Medicine for 2021, and am currently awaiting my results.
Do you have a favourite memory of your time at Pembroke?
I was trying to think of my favourite memory from my time at Pembroke and really struggling to pick a specific time or moment, especially now after just realising how much I enjoyed seeing everyone each day at school. If I could pick two standout moments though, it would have to be the German Exchange and the Valedictory Dinner. The exchange was just an incredible experience and I got to meet so many amazing people and had the best time. At first I thought the formal would be my second highlight, and while it was a great night, the Valedictory Dinner I think stands out in my memory more as it was quite a monumental evening, and marked a significant change in all our lives, as well as just being a fun night with everyone in our year as well as all our teachers who we had got to know over our time at Pembroke. Again, I wish the Leavers of 2020 all the best with wherever 2021 takes them and the best of luck for their exams and results.
What does 2021 look like for you?
For 2021, I'm hoping to start a University degree in Medicine, but if that does not work out then I have a place in Advanced Science which I deferred at the start of this year. I also hope to be able to travel at sometime though that will depend on how the world looks, and that could be wishful thinking for next year.