Sitting a Year 12 exam and playing cricket in the Women’s Big Bash League are all in a day’s work for Virtual School Victoria (VSV) student, Ella.
The Year 12 student who plays for the Melbourne Renegades – an Australian women’s Twenty20 cricket team based in St Kilda – said that starting VSV this year has helped her fulfil her ambitions of getting an ATAR and playing cricket at an elite level.
‘Studying at VSV has helped me balance school and cricket. In a typical week, I’d normally train for at least 20 hours,’ explained Ella.
Ella said VSV’s teachers have been incredibly supportive of her cricketing schedule, which also involves a considerable amount of travel.
‘One of the assessments in Food and Technology required me to cook a dish, but I had no food items or cooking appliances as I was quarantining in a hotel. My teacher was very understanding and provided me with a more theoretical assessment so I could still complete the work in the unit,’ she said.
While lockdowns and quarantines have been a common experience for this state-level cricketer, Ella said that it made her and the team even stronger.
‘We all know how lucky we are to be playing cricket throughout the pandemic. We are so grateful for this opportunity. It’s a driving force and keeps the team super-motivated. We want to make Melbourne proud,’ she said.
At the time of writing this story, Melbourne Renegades were top of the ladder.
