Thomas Augustine | Class of 2022

For Thomas Augustine, a graduate of the Class of 2022 and member of MacKillop House, some of the most valuable lessons from his time at Corpus Christi College came through the relationships he built and the opportunities he embraced.

Looking back, Thomas says the connections he formed with classmates and teachers remain some of his strongest memories from school.

'Some of the strongest memories from my time at Corpus was just the memories and relationships I built with both classmates and teachers alike,' he said.

'I have been able to have very strong and close relationships with a lot of my classmates which has continued after high school. I have also been able to build a strong relationship with staff that if I ever come to the school for events like this, I am able to talk freely and comfortably with them because of the amazing connections and conversations we had whilst I was in high school.'

While he finds it difficult to single out individual teachers, Thomas says many staff members helped shape his journey.

'I would not be able to list all the teachers because almost every teacher at the school when I was there had an influence on me and they definitely played an impacting role in my time at Corpus. Every field of study had at least one or two teachers who had a very long-lasting impact on me and my journey throughout Corpus.'

Finding confidence through public speaking

Public speaking played a significant role during Thomas' time at Corpus and helped him develop confidence, communication skills and leadership qualities that continue to influence him today.

'Public speaking was a very important part of my time at Corpus,' he said.

'It has taught me the importance of being able to verbalise and articulate what is on my mind and the impact a confident speaker can have on a group of people. Public speaking has allowed me to be able to create connections with people in ways that is different to that of your ordinary class and it has given me opportunities to still stay connected to the school after I have graduated.'

Participating in public speaking competitions helped Thomas become more confident when presenting to large audiences and taught him how to communicate effectively.

'Through participating in public speaking, it has definitely increased my confidence especially when talking to a large audience,' he said.

'It has given me the skills of being sure of what I am saying and being able to command the room without having the audience feel like they are being attacked. It has given me the skill to be able to make sure people are listening and understanding what I am saying and not just hearing what I am saying. It has also helped me on my journey to be able to articulate what I am thinking or trying to teach to others in a manner which is confident enough for the audience to believe what I am telling them.'

One speech in particular remains memorable.

'I remember one year I was stressing for my speech, and it was so stressful because the night before I was trying to memorise the speech and the palm cards I was writing just didn't seem to be helping me,' he recalled.

'Minutes just before my speech, I take a moment to just breathe and get some fresh air and then as I start speaking, everything slowly just flows together like clockwork, and it was one of my better speeches.'

A busy journey after Corpus

Since graduating, Thomas has pursued a wide range of opportunities across study, work, faith and community leadership.

In 2023, he travelled to Europe for World Youth Day and has continued his commitment to youth ministry by helping reignite and lead the youth group at his parish.

He has also gained experience in a variety of workplaces, including an internship with Deloitte Perth and a role on the WA Police Firearms Licence Reform Project Team. Along the way, he has spoken at and helped MC Catholic youth events.

Today, Thomas is studying Business Law and Finance at Murdoch University while balancing an impressive range of commitments. He currently works as a Customer Service Representative for Commonwealth Bank Australia, manages a bar in Roleystone, serves as Treasurer of the Murdoch Student Law Society and leads St Emilie's Youth Group. Outside of work and study, he also enjoys playing AFL and netball.

'I do all this as I enjoy making time and spending it with people I care about like my family and close friends,' he says.

'The joy I get from being able to share laughs and create memories is what makes doing all those things enjoyable.'

Communication beyond the classroom

The skills Thomas developed through public speaking continue to play an important role in both his professional and personal life.

'Communication is pivotal in my role as I need to be able to confidently talk to customers and clients on a daily basis,' he said.

'I also give a lot of speeches and host a lot of meetings for my extra-curricular activities like my uni society group and my church youth group. There I use public speaking to command and control the room when talking about an idea and expressing what needs to be done.'

Reflecting on his school years, Thomas says one of the most valuable skills he developed was the ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

'After doing many tour events and being invited to occasions where we have to network with other schools, parents, teachers and students I have gained a lot of confidence in being able to start and maintain a conversation with anyone.'

He also credits his time as Ministry Prefect with helping him develop leadership skills that continue to serve him today.

'This role allowed me to take on tasks and delegate to a team whom I would work closely with alongside my accompanying prefect Erika Mochado and our ministry co-ordinators,' he said.

'This has also helped me to have the ability to teach and be someone people can come to if they have questions, making me a better leader over the years.'

Advice for current students

For students preparing for this year's Public Speaking Competition, Thomas encourages them to trust their preparation and believe in themselves.

'Best of luck for your speech. You have been prepping for this for the past two terms,' he said.

'Truly believe that there is no one else in the crowd who can talk about what you are about to talk about and then live out that belief. You have been given this amazing opportunity to grow and extend the standards you have for yourself, so take the opportunity and make the most of it.'

For those feeling nervous before stepping up to speak, his advice is simple.

'I used to stress a lot and feel nervous but find something that will allow you to briefly distract you and regulate your breathing,' he said.

'Your first obstacle is to try and distract yourself because overthinking will just stress you out even more and make you doubt yourself when I am sure you are more than capable of doing a speech that truly is inspiring.'

'The next thing is to regulate your breathing. This is probably more important because if you can control your breathing, you can control the adrenaline and your nervous system and overall help you calm down more. If you can do this, you will be able to focus a lot better and give the best speech you can and at the end of the day, that's what anyone ever can ask for.'

Looking ahead

Thomas is on track to complete his degree in 2027 before embarking on a major European trip with close university friends. Longer term, he hopes to build a career in corporate accounting and finance, ideally with a firm such as Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG or a bank before eventually moving into private equity.

His journey since Corpus has taken him in many directions, but the confidence, leadership and communication skills he developed at school continue to guide him.

As Thomas reminds current students, sometimes success starts with backing yourself and having the courage to speak.

'Truly believe that there is no one else in the crowd who can talk about what you are about to talk about and then live out that belief.' – Thomas Augustine, Class of 2022.