Awards, Well-Wishes & a Wiggle (2024 PLHS Year 12 Award & Completion Ceremony)

Port Lincoln High School’s Year 12 Award & Completion Ceremony for 2024 was staged in the Nautilus Theatre last night, with a large crowd of invited guests, families, PLHS staff and some very relieved Year 12 students in attendance.

This year’s event was run using an alternative format to previous years; most notably, the Year 12’s sat in the theatre seats (as opposed to on stage), with several of the students performing admirably as MC’s throughout the night – well done to Seth Kayser, Prapti Pai, Sasha Noske, Jesse Retallick-Blackberry, Janik Quirk, Kalea Siegert, Maddison Lowe and Ryan Reynolds on fulfilling this role. The reintroduction of a guest speaker into the schedule met with widespread approval, with last night’s presenter wowing the audience with her incredible story.

Principal Student Leader Dre Vlassco opened the proceedings with the delivery of an Acknowledgement of Country, before the completion of twelve formal years of schooling for over ninety PLHS students was officially acknowledged with the presentation of the Completion Certificates early in the program.

Following the delivery of the traditional Valedictory Speech, our 2024 Principal Student Leaders Dre Vlassco and Prapti Pai then handed over to the recently elected 2025 leaders, Liam Akehurst and Sophie Lang.

In ceremonies past, a special guest speaker was invited to address the students and audience. This tradition had been absent from our more recent celebrations, but it was remedied in style last night – we were privileged to have ex-student Miss Zoe Karatzovalis return to Port Lincoln specifically to share her remarkable journey since leaving Port Lincoln High School ten years ago.

A talented and passionate performing artist, Zoe ventured to Sydney after graduating from high school – there she studied at and graduated from the acclaimed Brent Street Performing Arts Academy. When her promising career as a professional dancer was effectively shut down due to COVID in 2020, Zoe was forced to explore other options – she began working with people with disabilities, a role she cherished.

In early 2023, Zoe decided to combine her two great loves; she opened her own inclusive dance studio – offering classes for people of all abilities and ages, Infinite Abilities Performing Arts now has two outlets in Sydney’s southern suburbs.

This inspiring story gets even better… around the same time as she became the owner of a fledgling business, Zoe decided to attend an audition with arguably Australia’s most successful musical act of all time, The Wiggles. She won the part (of course) and has been performing on a part-time basis ever since as Dorothy the Dinosaur (and occasionally as Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus). Last night, Zoe revealed that she has been asked to return to Sydney so that she can perform as the Yellow Wiggle next week. Onya, Zo!

It seemed fitting that Zoe was one of two inductees into the PLHS Hall of Fame to be announced on the night – the other was retired Adelaide-based ophthalmologist, Dr. John Whitford.

Subsequent to Zoe’s hard-act-to-follow, heartfelt motivational addresses were delivered by PLHS Principal Mr. Craig Akehurst and Governing Council Chairperson Mr. Brian Gabb – Brian again went one step further, presenting another “Imagine-ative” aspirational speech, this time accompanied by Mr. Stephen Campbell on guitar.

As usual, the event served as an opportunity to recognise the outstanding contributions and achievements of a host of students, staff and community members, across a wide variety of service and subject disciplines. Congratulations to each of the worthy award recipients listed below and thank you to the numerous presenters for your ongoing support of our school.

Several videos were screened throughout the evening, including a compilation of the PLHS staff waving farewell to the completing students. Senior School Assistant Principal Miss Bambi Britten then closed the night with her thoughts and reflections on the “Class of 2024”, before dismissing them for the final time.

SPECIAL PRIZE WINNERS (pictured in order below):

Principal’s Awards: Kalea Siegert & Brian Gabb
Governing Council Award: Tanya Booker
Rowan Ramsey Award: Clive Palmer
Sam Telfer Citizenship Award: Trai Burgoyne
City of Port Lincoln Award of Merit: Seth Kayser
Ampol Best All Rounder: Tayah Liffner
Rotary Student All Rounder Award: Prapti Pai
ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award: Dre Vlassco
UniSA Whyalla Campus Award for Academic Achievement: Georgina Millard
Beatrice “Merle” Bascombe Award: Rylee Marks
Barbara Beitz Memorial Award: Tyler Billing
One Heart Brave Award: Erin McCarthy
CEG – ASBA Award: Isabelle Stutzer (not pictured)
Port Lincoln Zonta Award: Sasha Noske
Mat Steele Memorial Senior Drama Award: Ryan Reynolds
Gary Walpole Altruism Award: Benjaman Gabb
Eyre Trading Award: Bailey Maitland
PLHS Commitment to VET Award: Ella Macksad
Excellence in Adaptable Education: Edie Scott
Muriel Matters Award: Prapti Pai

ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS (pictured in order below):

Port Lincoln High School Meritorious Effort Award: Luke Pearce
Eyre Peninsula Community Foundation Caledonian Award for Academic Excellence: Benjaman Gabb