Madeline
Coming to Marden
I originally left school after completing Year 11 due to a lack of interest in school. After completing a carpentry apprenticeship I found that although it was fun, I couldn’t see myself doing that type of work in the future.
Seven years after leaving school I decided that I wanted to complete my SACE and broaden my future career possibilities. A friend recommended that I go to Marden Senior College as she had been there prior to starting a Nursing degree. After visiting the College and talking to one of the counsellors, I signed up for the mid-year intake and started my first day of school two days later.
Experience at Marden Senior College
I found that Marden had a very community minded and friendly atmosphere, which made me actually want to attend every class, I even went to some additional workshops for help with study and exam strategies.
Through the consistent and genuine encouragement of the staff at Marden I was inspired to aim higher and I achieved more than I realized I was capable of. I achieved a subject merit in the Research Project and, with bonus points, an overall ATAR of 98.5.
When I was unsure whether my ATAR would be competitive enough for the degree I wanted to do, a tutor encouraged me to sit the Special Tertiary Admissions Test as an alternate pathway to university. After attending Marden’s preparation course for the test, I ended up with a score in the 99th percentile which secured me an offer for a place in the Bachelor of Paramedic Science at Flinders University.
Achievements to date, today and the future
Since leaving Marden I have completed the first year of the Paramedic Science degree. Once I have completed the three year degree I hope to be offered an internship with the South Australian Ambulance Service.
There are limited positions available each year so it’s very competitive. If I miss out on an internship here, I may end up working with Ambulance services interstate, or even in London where they are seeking paramedics trained in Australian universities.
