By CHARLENE MACAULAY
FEABEN Tefera has stars in her eyes – and rightly so.
The 18-year-old Caroline Springs resident has become the first Caroline Chisholm Catholic College student to be awarded the VCE Top Class Drama.
Ms Tefera, who graduated from the Braybrook high school with an ATAR of 91.35, has been selected to perform her solo, The Wartime Entertainer, at this year’s VCAA Season of Excellence.
The Annual VCE Season of Excellence for Top Class Drama comprises A plus drama solos of the most outstanding VCE students from the previous year involving students from government, Catholic and independent schools.
“I am excited and thrilled that my hard work paid off; it’s a wonderful achievement,” Ms Tefera said.
“We always thought Top Class was an East-side thing and it’s such an honour to be selected since I’m from the West.
“My solo as The Wartime Entertainer is based on a speech from Dr Martin Luther King Jr and my approach was to represent the disillusionment of black soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War while they were discriminated at home,” she said.
“My thought process was to display the struggles of the character while establishing the political and social circumstances of the time.”
Ms Tefera thanked her drama teacher Myles Collins for his hard work and dedication.
“Once you find teachers who are passionate about their subject, you can’t help but want to please them,” she said.
“When you’re surrounded by the right people – people that push you and motivate you – it’s great.”
Ms Tefera is currently studying Arts Global at Monash University, and hopes to transfer to Arts Law next year.
The Top Class series will be held at the Melbourne Recital Centre on 1 May.
