Chloe Spencer – Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award Winner
Maribyrnong College student
Chloe had a brilliant 2025, competing in taekwondo tournaments all over the world. She brought home bronze at the Cadet World championships, beating top players from 4 countries. She also claimed gold at the British Open and silver at the Belgian Open.
Chloe was recognised with an Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award for her exceptional commitment to her sporting pursuits in 2025.
Chloe trains hard, plays smart and shows she can take on the world’s best.
Chris May – Medal of the Order of Australia Recipient
Berwick College alum
Chris May (OAM) is a Leading Firefighter with Fire Rescue Victoria and a Sergeant in the Army Reserves.
After graduating, Chris joined the Australian Army as an Armoured Crewman and completed two deployments to Afghanistan. His military service helped develop the discipline, resilience and leadership that continue to guide his work today.
Since leaving school, Chris has continued to push himself through further education and professional development. He’s completed a range of qualifications across leadership, public safety, and emergency management, and recently became a graduate of the International Institute for Fire Engineers.
In 2025, Chris was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of his outstanding service to the community through emergency response, military service, and leadership – a testament to the impact one individual can have through dedication and integrity.
Reflecting on his time at Berwick College, Chris said the friendships he formed had the greatest impact. 'Many of my fondest memories are of the mates I made. They helped shape who I am, especially when life threw some serious challenges my way.'
Jane Gazzo – 2023 Music Journalist of the Year
Swinburne Senior Secondary College alum
Jane Gazzo is a former Swinburne Senior Secondary College student and co-host of the iconic 1990s TV show Recovery. She has a long-standing passion for documenting Australian music and popular culture.
She credits her media teacher at the college with sparking her interest in journalism. “I excelled in media thanks to my fantastic teacher and have since gone on to enjoy a rewarding and exciting career in both the music and media industries in Australia and the UK.”
Jane went on to host the cult ABC music program Recovery, The Sound on ABC-TV and Play Loud on BBC. She was also an entertainment contributor on The Project on Network 10. She presented on national radio for Triple J and Triple M, along with working across the UK for BBC 6 Music and Capital FM London. Additionally, she has authored three books on Australian music, including a best-selling biography on John Farnham.
In 2023, she was named Music Journalist of the Year at the Australian Women in Music Awards.
Today, Jane is the General Manager of the Student Youth Network (SYN), where she supports and develops Australia’s next generation of broadcasters and media makers.
Paul Gorry – Deputy Director of the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Hallam Secondary College alum
After finishing high school, Paul Gorry completed a Degree in Science specialising in Microbiology, followed by a PhD in HIV research. He then undertook a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. He later returned to Australia to establish his own research lab at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, where he worked for 12 years.
Paul then moved into academia at RMIT University, becoming Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), and later Dean of Research for Science and Health.
'I remember two Hallam Secondary College teachers that had a lasting impact on me, both encouraged and supported me in ways that I am still grateful for today,' Paul said.
Paul now helps develop and deliver strategies that achieve research success and real-world impact. He does this through his current roles as Deputy Director of the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne.
Cameron Adams – Canva co-founder
Balwyn High School alum
Cameron Adams is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva, an online design platform with over 265 million users worldwide. He leads Canva’s product, design, and strategy, helping shape the company’s innovation and long-term vision.
After graduating from Balwyn High School, Cameron studied Law and Science at the University of Melbourne before ultimately following his passion for design.
Reflecting on this time at high school, Cameron says, 'The key skill in my work has become thinking creatively about problems and opportunities, and I’m genuinely grateful to Balwyn High for helping set those roots and encouraging us to connect ideas in new ways.'
He began his career in web design, founding an agency that worked with global clients including Atlassian, TEDx, and Sydney Festival, before joining Google in 2007, where he worked on the experimental communication platform Google Wave and gained experience building products at global scale.
In 2012, Cameron co-founded Canva alongside Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, with a mission to make design accessible to everyone. Today, Canva has grown into one of the world’s most valuable private software companies, empowering hundreds of millions of people to bring their ideas to life.
Outside of Canva, Cameron started Wedgetail with his wife Lisa Miller, a foundation focused on regenerating nature around the world. Through his books and writing, he has also contributed to the foundations of modern web design and regularly speaks at global events.
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