BSSC Year 12 student, Ella Honey says being awarded the 2025 Musician of the Year (MOTY), felt like an acknowledgement of all her hard work and effort.

“But, you know,” she adds, “while I was very happy with my performance, MOTY was such a nice experience because all the music students get along with each other, and everyone performed so well.”

People often tell Ella they wish they could sing like her.

“I was not a strong singer when I started,” she says, “but I had good support and encouragement and I really wanted to do this.

“If you love singing, you’ll work at it—and the worst thing that could happen for a young singer is to be told they can’t sing.”

Ella was in Grade 3 when she joined the Bendigo Youth Choir. In Grade 6 she began lessons with Louise Matthews and in Year 7 she joined Nexus: Bendigo Youth Theatre, and BSE’s college choir.

Nexus has been a huge influence and brought great opportunities. The “incredibly inclusive” culture has fostered great friendships, nurtured her capacity to perform, and built her stage confidence.

She says having the lead role for the 2024 Nexus production of Cinderella was where she “learnt to truly enjoy holding my own on stage.”

This year VCE studies have been priority and she has pulled back from Nexus—but not from singing.

Even in the midst of Year 12, she has given a recital at Bendigo’s beautiful Langley Estate, competed in and won ‘Take the Mic’ at Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne, and successfully auditioned for Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE) that saw her in Melbourne for weekly sessions with other talented singers.

Alongside her Music subjects, Music Inquiry and Music Performance, Ella is studying Art and English and continues studies in musical theatre, acting and singing, privately and mostly online, with Melbourne-based Erin Kennedy.

When it comes to art, she likes to draw portraits and paint with watercolours. “So my life really does revolve around music and the visual arts”.

Next year will be a gap year, but only in the sense of not being at school. Ella wants to solidify everything she’s learnt so far and will begin auditioning for schools of music later in 2026.

While musical theatre is her ‘happy place’ she hopes to make a career from, Ella is wary of setting her heart on a particular outcome.

“I’d love to be part of a professional musical theatre production or study musical theatre at tertiary level. But I’m open to all opportunities.”

BSSC has worked well for Ella, and she happily recommends senior to others. She describes the college as “so diverse” due to the many subjects on offer—particularly in the arts—and the diversity of people from many different backgrounds.

“I’ve also had great, supportive teachers here. This year I’m really appreciating Jacquie Tolhurst, who is so dedicated, listens to us and gives clear instructions.

Having her subject choices respected and being able to study exactly what she wants has made Ella more comfortable in herself and where she wants to take her life.

“VCE is inevitably more stressful because your grades count. But I think if you study what you love, you’re more likely to do well.”

While Ella looks the epitome of cool and collected, like everyone doing VCE, the stress can build up easily—and ignoring it does not work!

“I find distraction is good for me—I do something else for a while because once I’m stressed I can’t get anything productive done.

“It’s better to have a break. So I listen to music, go for a walk, or watch a show I enjoy.”

But probably not the news.

“I want to be informed, but the news has been making me so angry and upset, that I can’t watch it. It seems to me that more and more people seem less safe for who they are—not what they’ve done—and are stopped from feeling they can be themselves. For example, racism and transphobia.”

When she hits the books, Ella highlights notes she puts on the wall—ideal for her visual learning style. In contrast, as she develops an an art piece, she tends to build up the image more slowly, completing small areas as she feels she’s ready to.

The Art Floor is a favourite space in the college with large tables ideal for folio work and for students to help each other to keep on track. It’s also a great place to appreciate the various processes other students are using—such as screenprinting.

“I did a painting earlier this year reflecting on my younger self, so I’ve done some thinking about what I’d like to be able to go back and say to my twelve-year-old self:

“You are going to have to make difficult decisions about your life. It may feel very tricky now, but you will eventually see you made the right choice for you.”

Ella studied through home-schooling for a couple of years before starting VCE and was quite nervous about returning to the college setting.

“It was easier than I expected because my brother and other friends were here, and I soon made connections with other students in my classes.”

Ella’s brother, Josh Russell, is now studying musical theatre at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) and Ella laughs as she insists, “I take full credit for getting him into musical theatre!”

She believes she and Josh are “so lucky” to have their mum—their biggest fan—who gives them enormous amounts of love and encouragement.