Victoria and Renee Gibbs at their year 12 graduation. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Region has profiled several year 12 graduates from Griffith who are planning to leave town next year to study or work in bigger cities.
There are also several students who prefer to stay put, do a gap year and earn money to combat the rising cost of living.
Murrumbidgee Regional High School twins Victoria and Renee Gibbs have never spent much time apart. They will continue into adulthood as an inseparable dynamic duo, spending 12 months working in Griffith before travelling around Europe together in 2024.
“It’s good to always have someone with you,” Victoria said of her twin, Renee. “We probably fight every day but we always make up.”
The Gibbs family is well known in town. Mum Tanya is the director of childcare centre Goodstart Early Learning. Dad Mark is a star tennis player who has won multiple titles at the Griffith Tennis Club.
Region caught up with the twins at their year 12 graduation, when they reflected on the influence of their parents, time at school and plans for the future.
Names: Victoria and Renee Gibbs
Age: 18 (born 17 May, 2004)
Schools: Griffith North (primary) and Murrumbidgee Regional High School.
Best memory of school: Leaving. No, just joking. I think being able to see our friends every day.
Victoria Gibbs (centre) with her friends Leo Forner and Ella Burns showing off their Mars Bar slices when running a school cafe. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Naughtiest thing you ever did at school: We occasionally skipped class. Together, of course.
Teachers who inspired you: Mr Travis Payne.
One thing you’d change about the education system: Demerge the schools, so Griffith and Wade sites are separate again (the two schools were merged in 2018, but there have been much-documented problems ever since).
Role model: Tanya Gibbs (our mum).
Famous person you most admire and why: Taylor Swift and our older sister, Natalie Gibbs (who is famous for being the only female builder in Griffith).
Plans for next year: Victoria – I plan to keep working at Woolworths and try and get another job to save more money. Renee – I’ll be doing a vintage at Casella Wines and I’ll keep working at Kmart. Then we’ll save up and backpack around Europe.
Best advice you ever got from your parents: Study hard and trust yourself.
Social issue you most care about: The environment and preventing cruelty to animals.
Special skills: Netball.
Dream career: Any job that allows us to travel the world and meet new people.
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