A switch from starring in the children’s musical group, Hi-5, to studying accounting has paid off for Hugh Barrington after he was recognised as one of ECU’s top achieving students.
Hugh has been named in the Top 100 at the 2021 Vice-Chancellor's Student Awards.
The annual awards recognise the Top 100 students based on their weighted average mark and number of completed units.
From show biz to business
Hugh was invited to address fellow students and ECU staff at the event.
"My journey to ECU is a bit different to most. I have a background in musical theatre and had a successful career performing for about 10 years," Mr Barrington said.
"Now I’m studying a Bachelor of Commerce at ECU and majoring in accounting."
Hugh toured and performed around the world in several shows, including a stint in Hi-5, and the 2016-2017 We Will Rock You Australian tour.
In 2019, Hugh and his wife Michelle decided to relocate to Perth to build a new life for themselves.
"Most people are taken aback when I tell them about what I used to do, and what I am currently doing. After all, there is a large difference between the performing arts, to crunching numbers and studying tax law."
Recipe for success
Hugh shared with students three tips for succeeding in their chosen career:
- Talent is cheap: "It means, the world is a big place. There's lots of people out there who are just as smart and talented as you, so how do you succeed?”
- Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard: "I might not be one of the top 100 'smartest' students here at ECU, but I may well be one of the top 100 hardest working students, and I believe work ethic is key to success."
- People get the gig because they’re easy to work with: "If you're willing to work hard, are a nice person and people enjoy working with you, you're "easy to work with" – and that’s the trifecta. If you have all three attributes, then the whole world is your stage and there's no limit to what you can achieve."
Other winners at the event included:
Vice-Chancellor's Student Award for Engagement
Joey Eng, Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance), Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
In 2020, Joey contributed extensively to the Brave the Wave project, which brought together 124 WAAPA undergraduates from Australia and overseas who were isolated from one another during COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures, in a feat of synchronicity and musicianship.
Special Commendation
Andra Dinu, School of Business and Law
Vice-Chancellor's Award for Contribution to University Life
Maisha Zuhair, Master of Business Administration, School of Business and Law
Maisha has worked as both the Marketing Director and President of ECU Women in Business, empowering students and creating opportunities for them to connect with industry. As President, Maisha formed a partnership with the Association for Culturally Appropriate Services to provide students with work placement opportunities, and hosted the club's largest panel and networking event.
Special Commendation
Bilal Shaikh, School of Engineering
Shehara Francis, School of Business and Law
Spectacular students
ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman CBE presented the awards on Thursday, 2 September at the Joondalup Campus.
"I couldn't be prouder of the professionalism, integrity and commitment to personal excellence demonstrated by our students," Professor Chapman said.
"There are over 30,000 students currently enrolled at ECU so if you are in the top 100, you are spectacular."
Top 100 students
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- Emily Jayde Aufdemkampe
- Andrew Austin
- Megan Backhausen
- Karen Ballard
- Hugh Edward Joseph Barrington
- David Owen Bell
- Alyssa Robyn Booth
- Natalie Botha
- Sam Mcleod Burnett
- Katherine Anne Burrell
- Andrew Vaughn Burton
- Hayley Jacqueline Butler
- Rachel Anne Capp
- Sam Carr
- Michael Ceruti
- Nathaniel Richard Clift
- Jodie Louise Cochrane-Wilkie
- Daniel Costanzo
- Selby Currie
- Matthew Dall
- Thomas Davy
- Michaela De Paolis
- Jason Daniel Demasi
- Tu Gia Huy Diep
- Danika Leah Michelle Elliott
- Jack Henry Ellis
- Skye Fairney
- Jessica Farrell
- Justine Louise Fitzgerald
- Sheldon Ryan Gill
- Felix Greenhill
- David Barry Gush
- Ksenia Haangala
- Christopher Halfyard
- Christopher Hallett
- James Harding
- Colin Herbert
- Robert Herren
- Nalindaka Sandeep Hettiarachchi
- Ashleigh Kate Hewitt
- Vanessa Jane Hince
- Cynthia Jiachyi Hua
- Sam Hugo
-
- Lachlan Jack
- Mark Jamsek
- Heath Jeffrey
- Kartika Rosminah Jennings
- William Robert Charles Kirk
- Christina Klomp
- Cody Steve Konior
- Winiata Lambert
- Aaron Larkin
- Jordan Thien Le
- Angela Joy Leahy
- Tracy Lee Lilley
- Rhiannah Ly
- Cameron John Mackinnon
- Caroline Macri
- Michael Peter Mandoki
- Emily Zoe Josephine Marte
- Erica Hendrika Mason
- Samantha Jane Mckenzie
- Arlene Mckinney
- Andrew Frank Mcmaster
- Melissa Mills
- Jennifer Muk
- Benjamin Mullin
- Beth Ann Murphy
- Corey Aaron Murray
- Jonathan Nathan
- Alison Ngaronga
- Natasha-Maria Popovic
- Daria Primak
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- Jennifer Reid
- Kristijan Rezic
- Leslie Anne Riach
- Hayden Richards
- Gemma Elizabeth Kasia Riviera
- Lochlan William Ross
- Jasmine Ruscoe
- Matthew Jaydon Sabadini
- Mimmi Sandstroem
- Poojan Sharma
- David Shawcross
- Barry Smart
- Michael John Smith
- Penelope Jane Stephenson
- David Strain
- Sushmita Debnath Swarna
- Simon Richard Taylor
- Hannah Th'ng
- Norman Yiu Sing Tsang
- Yunn Wadi Tun
- Jamie Alexander Urwin Duarte
- Xander Nicolaas Van Rensburg
- Nicholas Vasey
- Hannah Louise Walley
- Deborah Weaver-Johns
- Callum Webster
