When BSSC student, Katya Dorer is asked ‘what’s your favourite Year 12 subject’ her response is almost instant: “Art Making & Exhibiting”.
“I’m so grateful for the passion I have for my art,” she says. “It brings me so much joy and as well as giving me the opportunity to keep developing my skills and exploring new ideas, it can be meditative or an escape.”
Art has also given Katya a goal for the future.
Her main artistic interest is illustrative with a focus on character or landscape. This year she is mostly working in digital format which she is just loving.
Digital format allows much greater colour-blending, capacity to work in layers, and chances to edit her work in a way that cannot be done using most other media.
“I remember last year when I was working in watercolours, I was often nervous about putting in a colour because the piece was part of my assessment—and you can’t undo watercolours.”
Still, Katya found the Photoshop software she uses quite complex and challenging to begin with. However, as her confidence has built, and she has become increasingly comfortable with it, she’s discovering almost endless possibilities.
Katya is planning to apply to study Animation at RMIT.
“I don’t want to be an animator, but there are other great jobs around animation I’m more interested in—such as concept design, visual development, storyboarding and compositing.
“I think I would also enjoy a job as a background illustrator.”
During her time at BSE, Katya was involved in the 7-10 college’s Academy of Creative Arts (ACA) bringing her flexible opportunities both in and outside school to immerse herself in a wider range of art experiences.
“I actually miss that,” she says.
“But I looked forward to VCE at BSSC, and I really like this college, but the flexibility the ACA experience brought just isn’t feasible at this level.”
Despite this, Katya is relishing the general atmosphere of freedom that is pervasive at BSSC. She loves to wear whatever she wants, but says there’s more to freedom than this.
“When you are young, you have this idea about the amount of freedom adults have. It makes you excited for your future—but you don’t necessarily understand that life is quite complex.
“Senior gives you an experience of that freedom while showing you how it comes with all this responsibility. BSSC is truly preparing us for adulthood and I definitely recommend this college.”
Katya also chooses the word ‘opportunities’ to describe the college. She’s not only referring to the breadth of subjects on offer, she’s also noticed the range of learning opportunities each subject offers.
“There are great excursions, chances to work with others and join various groups. Being at this age in this environment is a time to think about what will move you on—to ask yourself: ‘what opportunities can I take and use?’.”
Katya says her biggest challenge is the workload. She has elected to take six subjects this year and was on top of everything until she was unwell for a short time and suddenly found herself in catch-up mode—something that brought its own life lessons.
“Learning that your best is the best you can do at a particular time, has been valuable. It’s not helpful to compare yourself to others, or your past, or set up too-high expectations for the future.”
Asked for a ‘hot study tip’, Katya says connecting what she’s learning to everyday life is really helpful.
“Sometimes it can even be quite silly to take abstract concepts and give them real-life settings—but it works for me.
“I also practise the ideas that are foundational in particular subjects,” Katya says, “so in Maths you need to be able to work sequentially. In Literature, you need to be able to synthesise ideas.”
Katya is also rightly proud of her capacity to persevere.
“I haven’t had any harsh troubles to work through, but I can see my progress—the way I have kept growing.”
Despite her considerable workload, Katya is aware of the importance of a balanced life.
For Katya, this balance includes involvement in the Emily Calder Performing Arts drama school. She has been enjoying drama since late primary school and now teaches the littlest members of the school.
Katya also has another part-time job in retail.
“If I could go back and talk with my younger self, I would say, ‘have fun and keep doing what interests you. Take opportunities. Make things’.”
Katya’s is a truly multi-cultural family, with her mother’s family coming from Russia and her father’s from South Africa.
And just to add variety to this, Katya was born in London and remembers a very multi-cultural city and lots of Russian friends at school.
She emigrated with her parents to Australia when she was aged six but family visits to South Africa have kept her in contact with her cousins.
As she settled into life in Australia, she noticed her initial sense of being English gradually changed.
“We visited London during the last holidays and, although I think of myself as Australian, I also realised that the imprint of England is still there and some small part of me is still definitely English.”
As Katya reflects on contemporary global issues, she names war and Climate Change as the two greatest challenges facing humanity.
“While I cannot do anything to stop the fighting and death, I feel I can take steps to impact Climate Change. I can live my life in ways that will be helpful.”
