Ballymakenny College welcomed back students from the class of 2025 on the 2nd of September. The school were delighted to celebrate the achievements of their pupils and recognise the individual journeys that each student has taken. The students have chosen to follow a variety of career pathways from an apprenticeship in aircraft engineering through Ryanair, architecture in Queens University Belfast and actuarial mathematics in Dublin City University, to name a few, with a strong focus on STEM subjects reflected in this particular group.The challenges students faced this year, not just in Ballymakenny College, included a reduction in grade inflation and an increase of 8% in those applying to the CAO.Students were faced with a significant increase in points for their courses and many students across the country were left disappointed.
However, the overwhelming message from the Ballymakenny cohort was one of positivity. The journey through the Leaving Certificate for them is ‘not all about points’ they said, down time and keeping up hobbies was essential during the two years. They spoke about the many different career pathways available, the impact of open days and the results of speaking to those attending their desired course or to those qualified in their field. Lastly, they discussed how consistency is key, students were quietly confident the morning results were released as they knew they had put in the work, and many recognised the support of their parents/guardians in this pivotal moment.
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