I’D LIKE to introduce you to the best kid you’ve never met. At the recent Coolum State High School ‘Celebration of Excellence,’ Noah-Jay McArdle took out the Wandama Award as the highest performed student in the school at the time of the awards. He follows in some esteemed company, with last year’s recipient Jessnee Ng having achieved Queensland’s ultimate ATAR score of 99.95 and being subsequently awarded the TJ Ryan Medal. At the time of the awards ceremony, Noah-Jay was achieving 100% in all of his six challenging year 12 subjects.
This came on the back of Noah-Jay winning the Iwasaki-Sangyo prize, involving a month-long cultural and linguistic immersion experience in Japan. The award’s esteemed judges were left gobsmacked by Noah-Jay’s Japanese speaking ability, and the prize itself is a good gauge of his standing in Queensland when it comes to Japanese speaking ability. For a native English speaker, the ability to master Japanese is exceptional, as the language is completely foreign. There is no easy path to learning this language, only exceptional dedication and practice, practice, practice.
The striking thing about Noah-Jay, and Jessnee, for that matter, and all of Coolum High’s highest achievers, is their attitude. It’s always about respecting the teacher, the learning, other learners and the school. It’s never about finding what’s wrong – that’s always there to find if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s about finding what’s right about each and every person and accepting that each teacher and everyone in the school is doing their best at what they do. If there is one consistency I have learned from all of our highest achievers, it’s this – they all have genuine respect for everyone around them and especially for those people bringing the learning to them.
You won’t find a better attitude than Noah-Jay’s. His respect for all his teachers, his commitment to his school, and his determination to do his best is there for all to see. It was great to see his fellow seniors giving him a huge cheer when he was announced as the winner of the night’s ultimate award. It was a testament to the regard that they have for Noah-Jay. It’s always worth remembering, in a world that loves a negative headline, especially when youth is involved in a complex and ever-changing landscape, that there are young men and women like Noah-Jay around who set a standard so high that they inspire all of us. Noah-Jay is a young man who demonstrates what commitment, respect, and humility can achieve. Congratulations go out to Noah-Jay and his family – what an exceptional role model you have become in our community!