To say BSSC Year 12 student, Cooper Ellis, has enjoyed his time at senior is an understatement. He describes the college as “magnificent, friendly, and truly amazing”.
New friends, his teachers, the college’s vibe, Open Mic, the way the college runs like clockwork, and even the canteen—because it offers freshly-made food and the best chips—will be missed as he moves into the future.
“I will never forget my time here, but I think about it like this: I’m moving on so others can come here and experience this great place.
“I’ve made plenty of regrettable dumb decisions, but I’m so grateful to the people who have stood by me—amazing family, friends, teachers, staff at my work placement, and the college in general.”
Cooper arrived at BSSC with quite a negative attitude to school in general—and maths in particular. Yet he says he rarely skipped a class here because of the support he had from his teachers. Consequently, he’s also learnt a great deal of maths.
“My maths teacher in Year 11, Lucas, not only taught the curriculum, he also worked out the best way to explain complex concepts to each student, and often used real world examples.”
Another factor influencing Cooper’s opinion of BSSC is the absence of bullying at the college. Long ago he decided that school ‘no-bullying’ policies actually meant, ‘we’ll ignore it’.
“At BSSC they don’t only say, ‘no bullying’; it just doesn’t seem to happen here. I think it’s because everyone is treated equally. I believe if there was an issue the school would address it.”
Despite the positives, there are a couple of little things he’d like to change—one is the map issued to new students, and he’d love the breakfast toasties to be kept hot.
The accommodation of his passion for Australian wildlife into his school program—as a work placement—has meant the world to Cooper.
Every Tuesday throughout Years 11 and 12 Cooper has spent the day at Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre, working alongside experienced wildlife carers and learning how to handle reptiles, mammals, and birds.
Based in Chewton, the Jirrahlinga sanctuary has brought Cooper great insight about why it’s so important to protect our wildlife. He has also gained valuable experience dealing with the public.
“I’ve been passionate and fascinated about animals ever since I saw Steve Irwin on TV when I was very young. Something just clicked for me,” he remembers.
Cooper says his passion for Australian fauna is like a fire inside him, driving an endless enthusiasm for learning about and caring for wildlife—a passion undamaged by a teacher who once told him to grow up and get a real job.
He’s looking forward to moving to Cairns for his first ‘real job’ where he will work with a company who manages a number of wildlife parks. Cooper will be able to add crocodiles to the already considerable list of animals he has cared for.
“My dream job is to be able to show people why we have to care about animals and their habitats—I want to help others become passionate about our amazing, rare, and wonderful natural world.”
Unsurprisingly, David Attenborough is one of Cooper’s heroes. If Cooper could meet the acclaimed biologist and natural historian, he says he would give him a hug say a heartfelt ‘thank you’.
“I’ve noticed that he rarely smiles these days,” Cooper says, “I wonder if it’s related to seeing so much destruction over his lifetime?”
Another hero is Steve Backshall, also an English naturalist and explorer, who has taken remarkable risks to explore and film some of the most remote and beautiful places on earth.
Finally, the couple who run Jirrahlinga have given Cooper the chance to be part of what they do.
“They have taught me more than I can ever thank them for. They also encouraged me to see Jirrahlinga as a stepping-stone to my future.”
Cooper is aware there are systemic problems in Australia concerning people’s awareness about the challenges many species face. He would love to see government priorities change.
“The states are not all on the same page regarding animal care or environmental priorities. We can do so much more—it’s like we are careless as a nation.
“I’ve handled plenty of koalas at Jirrahlinga, but I’ve never seen a koala in the wild. As I understand it, we now can’t stop the extinction of koalas in the wild, but we could slow it down.”
Being an Australian native mammal is perilous. Thirty-eight native mammal species have been driven to extinction since colonisation and possibly seven subspecies. This makes us the world leader of mammal species extinctions in recent centuries. A further 52 mammal species are classified as either critically endangered or endangered … Fifty-eight mammal species are classed as vulnerable.
Source: Professor Euan Ritchie
“I don’t want to be another Steve Irwin or David Attenborough—I want to be a person who has committed their life to caring about animals and the environment who talks to people in ways that might help them start to fall in love with the environment and care more,” Cooper says.
“I want to spend the rest of my life taking the time to truly help at least one person each year to realise this—that could mean 75 people. If they do the same, that’s a lot of help.”
Cooper is inspired by a quote he once heard, ‘If you work hard for your dreams, you’re the only one who can destroy them’.
“I’d love to tell my twelve-year-old self that whatever people say to you, or however they put you down, keep the fire alive and there will always be many more good days than bad.”
