The Vocational School Student of the Year Award was won by Marenn Sagar from Wallaga Lake who completed his Certificate II in Tourism and Events at Bega Campus as part of his Higher School Certificate studies at Bega High School.

According to Marenn’s teacher Debbie Meers, his commitment and excellent achievements at TAFE were the reason why he was nominated for the award.

“Marenn was an excellent student who really enjoyed learning about and experiencing the tourism industry,” she said.

“He really enjoys travelling and exploring new destinations and meeting people from other cultures which helped him in his studies.”

As part of his tourism course Marenn completed two work placements, one at Montague Island with National Parks and the other with Manly Oceanworld and Aquarium in Sydney.

He also assisted Cruise Eden in welcoming the Voldendam cruise ship passengers to the port of Eden.

“I loved the broad range of topics covered in the course especially sustainability and Australian and global destinations which are all applicable to my immediate life,” Marenn said.

“This year I am living the dream of travel, meeting people and seeing amazing places and putting my tourism knowledge to good use while travelling around Australia.”

Another worthy recipient of one of the major awards this year was Marcus Mundy who won the Access – Special Achievement Award.

Marcus is a proud young Aboriginal man who wants to do the best for his community in the Bega Valley.

Despite the hardships of being a young father with a growing family, Marcus gained his Certificate II in Skills for Work and Training and a Certificate II in Aboriginal Media and Communication.

“We are so proud of Marcus and his achievements especially as he has been offered paid work and the opportunity to do a traineeship as an Aboriginal Support Officer at Bega West Primary School as a result of his TAFE studies,” Teacher in General Education Kate Todd said.

“Marcus’s goal is to finish his traineeship and eventually to become a primary school teacher.”