Phoebe Katelaris started at HSC CoWorks as a student in 2010 and went on to work her way up the ranks to one of three Team Leaders in 2014. Phoebe is imminently heading off on an exchange to Boston University as part of her Commerce degree at the University of Sydney, a challenge she set for herself last year and has been working hard to achieve ever since. We are excited to have seen Phoebe develop into the mature young woman that she is today and have watched her develop her own path to success since completing the HSC. We wish her all the best and look forward to hearing all about her adventures when she returns.

Phoebe’s Story…

To date, the HSC is one of the biggest achievements that I have completed. Never before have I been committed to a single goal for so long to ensure its completion. The concentration, dedication and commitment required for the HSC is not to be overlooked and you should all be proud of your efforts thus far, knowing that you are so close to reaching the peak of Mount HSC.

As I set off for an exchange semester in Boston, USA I am taking with me a lot of the lessons I learnt from the HSC and my time at HSC Coworks. As both a student of Ferg and Jesse and as a mentor I have learnt so much that applies not only to the HSC but also to any goal in life. The HSC prepares you for the challenges and adventures that you will embark on.

These are the three of the biggest lessons I learnt during my HSC that I am taking with me on my time to Boston.

Have a vision

• I have been preparing for my exchange for over a year. I have been faced with numerous challenges in my process of preparation but those pictures I put up of Boston University and of all the places I wanted to visit in America ensured that I remained focused on my vision of getting there and now I have.

Be prepared to face obstacles

• Inevitably, you will face obstacles on your journey. It is about how well you deal with them and your resilience against them that marks your true ability. I have been faced with obstacles such as visa and university issues but my determination to ensure that I was able to take this placement meant that I saw these only as fleeting problems and I have gotten passed them.

Take a leap of faith

• Christopher Columbus said “You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore”. Heading overseas for the first time by myself for 7 months is a nerve-racking yet exciting opportunity for me but if I don’t have the courage to take those first steps, I won’t get the best out of the experience. This is much like the HSC whereby even though those initial steps are the hardest, like sitting down to write that essay or doing a practice, timed multiple choice exam instead of highlighting, it will bring the greatest rewards.

To all the students that I have had the pleasure of teaching over the past three HSC years, thank you. It has been such a rewarding experience to come in week after week. Your determination, resilience and enthusiasm has made my time at HSC Coworks so enjoyable.

I would like to thank Ferg, Jesse, Carol and the rest of the team that I have worked with over the last three for their guidance, support and expertise. I have learnt so much. I really feel that I am making steady progress up the next mountain towards my dream career because of all the life lessons I have taken from my time at HSC Coworks.