The Roma Mitchell Secondary College student was unsure what pathway to take when he began the final year of his SACE in 2020.

But the 18-year-old used the flexibility of the SACE to find his passion and a potential career pathway in Physical Education.

Oscar studied Stage 2 subjects in Business and Enterprise, Health, Physical Education, and Scientific Studies.

“Beginning the SACE in Year 10 with the PLP, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I tossed and turned between different pathways, including law, retail, and sport, but I was unsure of the answer,” Oscar said.

“It was only until 2020 that I found my passion. I had always enjoyed sport and exercise but didn’t think much of it. 

“Physical Education really changed my view on life, I learnt that it’s more than just mainstream sports. It’s biomechanics, it’s nutrition, it’s training, it’s a package deal. 

“SACE is like that, there are many options underneath the name. It’s flexible and allows you to pick the pathway you want with countless options.”

Like his peers, Oscar spent around three weeks learning from home and learning to use programs such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

But while Oscar was able to adapt to online learning, the cancellation of many rite-of-passage events was challenging for the Year 12 Head Prefect. 

“This year like for everybody, came as a surprise. I wasn’t really as affected by it as others, I was still at work with some minor changes, even school didn’t change all that much. 

“Online learning was a little strange and I didn’t like the idea of it. Thankfully, it was only for a few weeks and school was back to some form of normality. 

“What I really loathed about 2020 was all the cancellations and postponements of events. Year 12 always looked like the best school year of a scholar’s life to me. The memories that were meant to be made, the experiences that were cancelled. 

“However, with all the bad there was some good. The subjects I studied this year, although very different from each other, really helped me decide my pathway. The teachers paired with them were perfect. The friends I made this year, made it that little bit more special.”

Oscar is planning to study Human Movement at UniSA in 2021, and eventually hopes to become a PE teacher.