Recently home from a five-week internship with a New York investment fund, and one of only 23 students who received the Premier’s Top All-Rounder VCE High Achiever award this year, Teddy Stewart (OM 2023) emphasises that his success is due to consistency and structure.
“When I entered Melbourne Grammar School as a boarder in Year 9, I felt I was behind academically but that changed due to the teachers and the support they gave me,” Teddy says. “Being at this School developed my work ethic and gave me opportunities to find what I truly enjoy. I now feel like someone who can go out and explore the world. Without that holistic education, that wouldn’t be possible.”
Looking beyond the high score
Teddy received an ATAR of 99.80, placing him in the top 1% of students in the State. He also received a perfect score of 50 for Legal Studies. Despite these significant achievements, Teddy says his time at the School taught him more than how to excel academically.
“Melbourne Grammar helped me develop as a person, not just as someone who could get a good ATAR,” he says. “The School encourages integrity and respect, in your relationships and in your studies.”
Teddy also attributes his academic success to the strong routines embedded in life in the boarding house. “Boarders seem to do very well academically, because of the routine, the collaborative environment, and the personal support from the boarding tutors,” he explains. “I loved having people to bounce ideas off, and to be able to get help from tutors when I was struggling.”
As a member of our School’s triple premiership winning First XI Hockey team across all three years, Teddy says the demands of training were another factor in helping him focus. “I had to think about how I was going to structure my week to fit everything in,” he says. “It was special to be part of such a successful team.”
Gratitude for long-term support
Now working part-time at the Australian Foundation Investment Company, Teddy’s week involves talking to the CEOs of some of the largest companies on the ASX. He is also studying Commerce at the University of Melbourne, with guaranteed entry into Law when he completes his undergraduate degree.
“Now I’m at university, I do miss the relationship I had with my teachers at School,” Teddy says. “The dedication of the teachers at Melbourne Grammar is unbelievable, and that’s something I’m now feeling really grateful for.”
Teddy says he is also feeling a sense of gratitude for the support of the Maurice & Margaret McKeown Scholarship, established by their son, Dr Malcolm McKeown (OM 1935), which was the reason he was able to attend Melbourne Grammar.
“It’s amazing for someone to be so generous as to support someone they’ve never met,” he says. “I hope that I’ve contributed to the School as he would’ve wished.”
Read more about other current and former students who have also received 2024 VCE Premier’s Awards here.
