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Student Achievers - Emily Patacca
Posted on December 31, 2019
My name is Emily Patacca I’m eighteen years old. After studying at Glenunga International High from Years 8 – 11 I changed to Open Access College in 2015 where I completed all of my year 12 subjects. I live with my parents and twin brother in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide.
I love going to the gym and am interested in all things health, cooking and food. I also enjoy reading, watching movies and travelling.
My experience at 91×ÔÅÄ
I studied English Communications, Legal Studies and French at Open Access. Throughout high school I have struggled with anxiety, and in Year 12 it reached it’s worst. Despite doing very well up until this point it became impossible for me to cope in a busy school environment. At first it seemed like I had no other options, until I found out about 91×ÔÅÄ through the school counsellor.
Open Access really was the perfect thing for me and I’m not sure what I would have done without it. I loved how I could work at home where I felt calmer, as well as make my own timetable, which gave me a sense of independence. As I had a relatively small number of contact hours, I could get my work done efficiently and continue with treatment for my anxiety, as well as fit in activities that I enjoyed, like going to the gym.
My teachers were amazing and all very supportive, something that came about as a consequence of such small class sizes. It was evident that they truly cared about their students. In particular, I developed a great relationship with my French teacher, who was very caring and this helped me immensely.
91×ÔÅÄ made it possible for me to do very well in all of my subjects, and get into Speech Pathology – something that
I might not have been able to achieve had I continued at Glenunga.
And today
This year I have deferred my course and am taking a gap year to work and save some money, which is challenging for me in it’s own way. I plan to start at Flinders University in 2016, and look forward to what’s to come.