Five Gloucester students planning a very different schoolies’ week

AFTER the stress of the Higher School Certificate (HSC), many Year 12 students are keen to head off to one of the well-known “schoolies” locations, such as the Gold Coast or Byron Bay.

But five Gloucester High School students have chosen a less-trodden path for their 2025 end-of-school adventure.

Selina Denyer, Sam Collie, Xavier Soupidis, Tom Maggs and Elana Pope are taking their schoolies trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where they will work in schools and preschools offering help and hope to young Khmer children.

This “schoolies” event is being organised by the Church on the Hill, and its pastor Ty Soupidis.

It will be the fifth trip to Cambodia for Ty, and the third for their son Xavier, who went on his first when he was just eight-years-old.

It will be the first visit to Cambodia for the other four students – for some, it will be their first trip outside Australia.

“The chance to take people, especially young people, to a place like Cambodia, is for me a priceless experience,” Ty said.

“They are not only getting an experience that will open their eyes to the world beyond Gloucester, but they will partner with and genuinely help people on the ground in Cambodia.”

Church on the Hill has formed a friendship and partnership with Cambodian Care.

Its founders, Koy and Reny Chhim, are Cambodian nationals with backgrounds in teaching, community aid and development.

They operate three schools in Phnom Penh, and one in the more remote province of Kratie.

The group will be travelling to Cambodia in November, and as a fundraising initiative, are playing a musical gig at Roadies Cafe on Thursday 28 August (bookings through Roadies).

“Anyone interested in supporting this unusual schoolies adventure, but who can’t make it to the Roadies gig, can contact me at ty@churchonthehill.com.au to find out how to help them on their way.”