October 19, 2014
Guest speaker at last Thursday night’s annual Kingaroy State High School speech was a genuine “boy from the ‘Roy”, Andrew Butwell, who graduated from the school in 1984.
Andrew’s life has been full of some of the lowest lows and highest highs since then, but through it all his spirit of determination has shone through.
In November, 2006, Andrew became a paraplegic after an horrific assault in Brisbane.
But even that didn’t thwart his career path.
The psychiatric nurse has completed a Masters degree since his injury, and is now Community Services Manager at Toowong Private Hospital, responsible for a string of staff … not bad for someone who admits he wasn’t really “academically inclined” at school.
“I was the least academic (of the four children in his family) but I ended up with the most qualifications,” he said.
Earlier this year he was named Queensland Father of the Year.
Andrew told the graduating Year 12 students – and a packed Kingaroy Town Hall audience – that he credited Kingaroy State High School’s six “school virtues”, ie. commitment, responsibility, self-discipline, honesty, respect and tolerance, as well as his upbringing by his parents, for his success in life.
Joining Andrew on stage to present the student awards were Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, Acting Assistant Regional Director for Education Queensland David Ballin, and South Burnett Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell.
Compere for the evening was P&C president Debbie Jackson who said the school’s new multi-million dollar “learning hub” building, constructed to accommodate Year 7 in 2015, would be finished soon and could be put into use before the end of this term.
The awards night also paid tribute to long-serving school chaplain Ruth Wright and staff member Pauline Peters who both will be retiring at the end of this year.
Entertainment was provided by the school’s Concert Band, Stage Band and Vocal Group.
NB. This was the first year since the late 1960s that Lady Bjelke-Petersen, now 94, was not able to attend the school awards.
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Special Award Winners:
- Dux of the Senior School (P & C Auxiliary Shield): Jenna Irwin
- Dux of the Junior School (Vietnam Veterans’ Trophy): Callum Tucker
- Rotary Shield for Service and Leadership (Kingaroy-Taabinga Rotary Club): Mikayla Layt
- Arch Blue Memorial Prize for Character and Leadership: Brooke Favier
- Bean Growers Australia Award for Citizenship: Hayley Hunter
- Caltex Best All-Rounder Award: Leah Davis
- Dental Essentials Award for Study, Leadership and Sport: Lane Ferling
- South Burnett Regional Council Cultural Bursary: Amie Mason
- South Burnett Regional Council Leadership Bursary: Taylor Crossley, Simon Fairbairn
- Timothy Hughes Memorial Encouragement Award for Music: Jason Hanwright
- Rotary Shield for Junior Citizenship (Kingaroy Rotary Club): Ellen Dalton, Nathan Fairbairn
- Jack & Dulcie Collett Memorial Bursary: Autumn Law
- Keith Middleton Memorial Bursary: Kyra O’Sullivan
- Mortimer & Company Bursary for Volunteering: Benjamin Reeve
- Active Citizens Award sponsored by Dangerfield’s A1 Swim Centre: Shenae Kersnovski
- Alan Whitmee Student Council Award: Belinda Johnston
- School Community Award sponsored by Peanut Company of Australia: Daniel Weldon
- Burnett Business Centre Award for Business: Mikayla Layt
- USQ Community Award: Eli Bunyoung
- Lions Shield for Leadership: Annika Hicks
- ADF Leadership and Teamwork Award – Year 12: Jenna Irwin
- ADF Leadership and Teamwork Award – Year 10: Callum Tucker
- Deb Frecklington Leadership Award: Maddison Dalgarno
- Deb Frecklington Leadership Award: Jason Hanwright
- Kingaroy RSL Hospitality Award – Year 12: Jessica McLeod
- Kingaroy RSL Hospitality Award – Year 11: Karina Bonwick, Allanah Dowsett
- Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Bursary – Year 10: Jessica Wyles
- Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Bursary – Year 11: Jessica Blanch
- TAFE South West Outstanding Vocational Student Award: Jonathan Hams
- Mike Storrien Memorial Award for Service to Schools: Nina Temperton
- Quota Award for Citizenship: Kate McCormack
- UQ Achievement Award: Danielle Janz
- UQ Young Achievers Scholarships: Allexandra Almond, Tasma Gregson, Jonathan Litzow
- Kingaroy-Taabinga Rotary Club Cid Burke Memorial Bursary – Year 11: Tyler Wearne
- Kingaroy-Taabinga Rotary Club Cid Burke Memorial Bursary – Year 9: Abigail Blanch
