Image: Caitlin McKenzie, prize winner.

Caitlin McKenzie, Year 11 student of Holy Cross College, has been selected to attend the Premier’s ANZAC Student Tour 2017 as a result of her winning essay examining the importance of the ANZAC legacy and what it means to young West Australians.

Caitlin’s passion for history motivated her to enter the competition during a busy exam period, “I’ve always been interested in history. I recently read a book about an Australian girl who was a prisoner of war. When my teacher Miss Reynolds told me about the essay competition, she said it was about a historical topic she thought I would like. She was right”.

This year’s essay topic proposed the essay starter, “In 1915, the ANZACs bequeathed a powerful legacy to future generations of Australians,” which led Caitlin to investigate the impact of the Battle for Singapore (1942) upon Australia’s contemporary relationship with Asia.

Principal Mandy Connor is very proud of Caitlin and her outstanding achievement, “throughout this process, Caitlin has displayed tenacity, perseverance and a desire to achieve her best possible work. As a finalist she was interviewed, during which she had to display not only her historical knowledge but also a personal connection to her subject matter. She is a deserving prize winner and should be congratulated on her achievement and also for the consistently positive attitude she displays toward her learning” Principal Connor said.

Catholic Education WA congratulates Caitlin on this incredible achievement, and wish her a safe journey as she travels to Singapore for the Tour in April this year.

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