Bella Zhou (China) - Strathfield Girls High School

Initially, it was my parents’ idea to encourage me to come to study in Australia, until I realised how competitive it is studying in my hometown, and the great opportunities studying in Sydney offered.

The story began when I enrolled in Strathfield Girls High School after completing one term of study at the Central Sydney Intensive English High School. The first thing I remember about my school is the motto "VITAE LAMPADA", which means "Pass on the torch of life".

I was surprised to discover that about 70% of students in my school came from backgrounds other than English, which allowed me to better immerse myself and adapt to this new environment.

I was also surprised by the variety of subjects I could choose in school, which were not only limited to English, Maths or Science, but also included Japanese, Food Technology, Textile and Design, etc. As a big fan of Japanese anime, I chose Japanese as soon as I entered Year 10 without hesitation.

In Year 12, we were informed that there was an upcoming NSW School Chemistry Titration Competition, and I was honoured to be selected as a member of my school's team. However, at the beginning of the training, I wasn’t satisfied with my performance at all, and I often acted as a "dragger" for my teammates. My confidence was exhausted after training several times, but my chemistry teacher always supported me, encouraged me, and helped me summarise the reasons for each failure. In the end, I successfully won a perfect zero error score in the final competition.

The Principal, Deputy Principals and International Student Coordinator all supported us very thoroughly throughout the year and I appreciated them so much, especially during the HSC period when I was undergoing some medical treatment.

Under their meticulous care, I completed the HSC exams in 2022 achieving an ATAR of 99.35. I was honoured to be the school's 2022 DUX.

After completing the HSC in 2022, I am now studying a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) / Master of Pharmacy Practice at The University of Sydney. I plan to become a hospital pharmacist or compounding pharmacist so that I can put my passion for chemistry into health care.

To the future student, I would like to say… Don't be afraid! Just come! You will find out that studying in New South Wales is a great opportunity for you.