What are the Trailblazer Awards?
The Trailblazer Awards celebrates Year 12 students beyond their ATAR, recognising those who have overcome personal challenges and used their final year of school to positively impact their community.
Our Trailblazers will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders, build their personal brand and profile as a future leader, learn key career skills in our 3-day Pathfinder Accelerator, and so much more!
Find out how Deepika navigated Year 12 differently throughout 2021!
Introducing: Deepika Dhulipati
Category: Business & Entrepreneurship
School: Baulkham Hills High School
Career Aspiration: Finance
Achievements
- Girls in Property project winner
- Managed caretaker role with studying for the HSC
- Competed in Startup+, hosted by Generation Entrepreneur
What makes Deepika a Trailblazer?
Deepika participated in the Girls in Property program hosted by Property Council of Australia, which aims to raise awareness amongst highschool students about the numerous career paths offered by the property industry and to encourage females to get involved. This initiative gave Deepika the opportunity to create networks with professionals from the property industry and compete in a presentation competition which won at both regional and state level. Deepika was assigned leader of her small group, being voted by her peers due to her effective coordination skills. Being a leader involved collaborating with my team members and encouraging effective communication through weekly meetings and delegating tasks to each member.
For their presentation, Deepika’s team created a presentation focusing on creating an economically and environmentally sustainable communal living space for the Yolngu people of Yirrkala. Assembling a 3D model from recycled waste, Deepika’s team was able to bring their design to life and give a presentation that was incredibly well-received by the judges.
Being part of this program has had a significant impact on Deepika. It has strengthened her capacity to be disciplined, articulate and empathetic.
“My participation in this program made me achieve personal growth by improving my communication skills and my understanding of Australia’s multicultural society.”
Overall, this experience was a significant achievement for Deepika, who was able to overcome barriers associated with being an immigrant and represent a cohort of 13 schools.
On top of all of this, she participated in her school’s peer support program and competed in a startup competition hosted by Generation Entrepreneur.
The second COVID-19 outbreak made Deepika’s final year of high school very challenging. Uncertainty surrounding exams caused a lot of stress and anxiety. It was a difficult time to stay motivated on her studies. However, she acknowledges the usefulness of platforms such as Zoom in helping her stay connected with her peers and on top of her studies. In addition to all of this, Deepika’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and underwent major surgeries and treatments during this time. As a result, Deepika assumed the role of caretaker for her, all while trying to manage her HSC workload.
Deepika hopes to pursue finance and business in the future, working in financial firms. She is also passionate about contributing back to the economy by working in the treasury of the Australian Government.
Deepika has a very impressive portfolio. It is no wonder she is one of our Top 50 Trailblazers!
The Top 50 Year 12 Trailblazer Awards
The Trailblazer Awards aim to identify and celebrate students who use their final years of school to invest holistically in the skills and experiences that will maximise their own future opportunities and make a contribution to the future of our society.
Our winners for the Year 12 Trailblazer Awards have demonstrated initiative in volunteering for their school or community, have participated in co-curricular activities, and have held leadership positions within their schools.
Learn more about who placed in the Top 50 Year 12 Trailblazers here!
About Art of Smart Education
At Art of Smart Education, we’re an award-winning provider of holistic tutoring and mentoring for students in years K-12. Our mission is to help students answer the difficult question, “What am I going to do with my life when I finish school, and how do I get there?”
We understand that true success involves mastering study, career and leadership skills while maintaining your wellbeing, not just excelling in academics and as a result, over the last decade, we’ve supported over 10,000 students to achieve their best and maximise their options for life after school.
Each year over one million young Australians, parents, and teachers access our guides, videos and resources to navigate the journey through high school.
