Top Croatian VCE students awarded at Melbourne Consulate

The Croatian Language Teachers Association of Victoria held its annual awards ceremony at the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Melbourne. The event recognized excellence in VCE Croatian Language for the year 2025.

The event brought together students, families, teachers and members of the Croatian community to celebrate academic achievements. It also celebrated the continued preservation of the Croatian language and cultural heritage. This year's top students, Valentina Ljutić (Mentone VSL Centre) and Irina Sever (Keilor Downs Centre), were awarded for their outstanding results and commitment to learning the Croatian language.

Each recipient received an "Arthur Nalis" plaque, a bilingual “My Mother's Kitchen” cookbook, a Certificate of Excellence and a $150 voucher.

Guests were warmly greeted in Croatian by the Association's President, Katica Perinac.

“Welcome to the top student awards ceremony. The event is being organized by the Croatian Language Teachers Association of Victoria. The association is a voluntary organization that aims to build students who are learning Croatian and who are nurturing their cultural heritage,” she said.

The event highlighted the association’s ongoing commitment to supporting Croatian language education through initiatives such as poetry and writing competitions. In addition, graduation ceremonies were held for VCE students. The awards were presented to the students by Consul General Joseph Gene Petrić.

The President thanked parents and teachers for their commitment to preserving the Croatian language. In addition, the President thanked the wider community for their continued support.

This project was supported by the Central Government Office for Croats Abroad, Harcourts, the Croatian Cultural Community, the Croatian Social Centre, I & D Group, Loaram Constructions, North Geelong Warriors and HKUD Lado.

Source: Hrvatski Vjesnik