Page’s prize sweep

Avondale student wins big for academic excellence

Talented students frequently take away multiple academic prizes from Avondale’s annual ceremony, but David Page may be the first to claim four of them.

The ceremony, held in Ella Hughes Chapel on the Lake Macquarie campus this past Wednesday (October 26), saw the final-year Bachelor or Arts/Bachelor of Business student awarded the Avondale Prize for Excellence, the highest academic prize given by Avondale College of Higher Education. The secret to his success? Dedication—and a lot of hard work.

“I treat my studies like a job,” Page says. “At the beginning, I was afraid I wouldn’t be up to the task, but it turns out work ethic and dedication pays dividends. I’m excited to be so close to a graduation that three years ago seemed insurmountable.”

Page was also the recipient of the Adventist Media Digital Media Prize, the Willobee Floors Bachelor of Arts Prize and the Professional Advantage Bachelor of Business Prize. His wife, Tiani, calls his success “a testament to consistent hard work, a positive attitude and a life-long love of learning.”

Among other multiple prize winners was postgraduate student Rosemary Andrykanus, one of three women honoured by Avondale Seminary. The final-year student received the Douglas Eliot Church Planting/Ministry Memorial Prize and the Edna and Vern Heise Prize for Excellence in Communication. Four of the 10 seminary prizes were awarded to women.

“Our availability is God’s opportunity,” she says. “When God calls you, regardless of your gender, He equips you to do His work. I believe these prizes are a reflection of putting the gifts God has given me back into His hands.”

Bachelor of Ministry and Theology student Sylvia Mendez received the Clifford Anderson Ministry Prize, having completed her entire course so far via distance learning. The ministerial intern at Wantirna Seventh-day Adventist Church in Victoria accepted her prize in absentia, and says she was shocked by the news. “It’s such an honour, but it doesn’t feel real yet,” Mendez says. “People often say that motivation is the greatest challenge when studying by distance, but for me it was the loneliness. Studying by distance often makes you feel invisible, so getting this award was such a surprise—it’s so helpful to know I’m not alone on this journey.”