Mackay Student Wins Prestigious Award For Excellence In STEM

Whitsunday Anglican School’s 2024 Academic School Captain, Rohit Vaidya, was one of only
fifteen students in the State, and the only student from the Mackay and Whitsunday region, to
receive a Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in STEM Education, where he was celebrated for
his outstanding and innovative contribution to STEM education in Queensland.

Marking 21 years of the Peter Doherty Awards for Excellence in STEM Education, the awards
recognise students, teachers, support officers, schools and education partners who demonstrate
their commitment to excellence in STEM education for their schools and communities.

Named after Professor Peter Doherty, a Brisbane-born Nobel Prize-winning scientist, the award
and scholarship program assists students in their continued pursuit of STEM education.

Attending the ceremony with his family, including his older brother Raj, an alumni of Whitsunday
Anglican School and previous Peter Doherty Award winner, Rohit said that he was humbled by
the award.

Rohit has been an advocate for STEM within the Whitsunday Anglican School community and
has embraced the countless opportunities provided by the school, and in the newly-opened
state-of-the-art STEAM Centre.

“It is truly an honour to be one of the fifteen students to have received this prestigious award,”
he said.

“I am looking forward to pursuing a career in medicine after school and continuing in the footsteps
of my older brother Raj and my father in specialising in cardiology.

“I really want to work in a rural or remote community because I believe that these areas require more specialist interventions and I want to strive to be the best doctor I can be.”

Principal, Mr Andrew Wheaton, said Rohit is an outstanding student, excelling in his academic
studies, particularly in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

“Rohit is a tremendous role model to our school community, and we are immensely proud of
his achievements. He is the embodiment of our school values, and as academic captain,
where he generously supports students from the Preparatory Year to Year 12 in their academic
studies.

“Since joining Whitsunday Anglican School in 2014, Rohit has proven himself as an impressive
young man with a bright future, immersing himself in every opportunity to advance a balanced
education, that has been accentuated by a passion for STEAM – Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts (critical thinking, literature and The Arts) and Mathematics.”

Rohit’s contributions to STEM education are significant, including the JCU Heroes in Health
program, Australian Mathematics Competitions completed with Distinction in 2023, Opti-MINDS,
Science Olympiads, and he was awarded a scholarship for the Lions Medical Research
Foundation SPARQ-ed (Students Performing Advanced Research Queensland) program.

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Whitsunday Anglican School Deputy Principal (Teaching and Leaning) Natalie Sunner with award winning student Rohit Vaidya. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara
Rohit Vaidya receiving his award with Di Farmer MP, Minister for Education and Minister for Youth Justice and Michael De’Ath, Director-General, Department of Education. Photo source: Whitsunday Anglican School (Facebook)

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