From a JPC Classroom
to Cross River Rail
Joseph Vu came from Vietnam, found his path in a John Paul College classroom, and is now an engineer helping build Cross River Rail — preparing Brisbane for the 2032 Olympic Games.
Joseph Vu · on site at Cross River Rail, Brisbane
“I Was Very Impressed With the Australian System”
Joseph arrived from Vietnam a proud future alumnus of John Paul College. What struck him first was the Australian education system — and, in particular, the way high school worked.
Back home, he had been studying twelve subjects at once. At John Paul College he discovered something different: from Year 10, students begin choosing their own subjects — and in the senior years they study just six. It was a change that would shape everything that came next.
“When I first came over, the biggest difference was that you were choosing your subjects from Year 10.”
Joseph Vu · on arriving at JPC
Six Subjects Instead of Twelve
To Joseph, the real power of the Australian senior years was concentration. Studying six subjects rather than twelve let him pour his energy into the units he loved — and the ones he was good at.
That focus did more than lift his marks. It helped him define a narrower path toward a career — something he says he was genuinely able to do at JPC. The subjects he chose became the first steps toward becoming an engineer.
“It helps you define a more narrow path for your career — which I was able to do. I studied the units I liked, and the units I was good at.”
Joseph Vu
A Careers Service That Knew Where He Should Go
During Year 12, John Paul College offered Joseph a career-consulting service — one he says was “very helpful at the time.” It listened before it advised.
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01
What You Love — and Don’t
A survey of his interests, the subjects he disliked, and his personality — building a real picture of the student behind the marks.
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02
Your Predicted Result
That picture was combined with his predicted Year 12 score — grounding the advice in what was genuinely within reach.
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03
Your Best-Fit Degree & University
The result: the most suitable degree and university for him. “That helped me find my career path — which is engineering.”
From a Classroom to Queensland History
Follow the line — from a new arrival from Vietnam to a young engineer building the biggest infrastructure project in the state.
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Arrival
From Vietnam
Joins John Paul College — impressed at once by the Australian high-school system.
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Year 10
Choosing Subjects
Begins selecting his own subjects — a first taste of shaping his own path.
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Senior
Six Subjects
Focuses on the six units he loved and excelled in — not twelve.
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Year 12
Careers Guidance
JPC’s consulting service matches him to the right degree and university.
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University
Engineering
Follows that path into an engineering degree — the career the guidance pointed to.
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Today
Cross River Rail
An engineer on Queensland’s biggest infrastructure project — building toward 2032.
Watch Joseph’s Story
Joseph shares how a JPC classroom set him on the road to engineering — and to building Brisbane’s Olympic future.
Building Brisbane’s Olympic Future
Today Joseph is an engineer on Cross River Rail — one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Queensland, helping ready Brisbane for the 2032 Olympic Games. The path that began in a JPC classroom now runs beneath a city.
Cross River Rail
A transformative rail project reshaping how a whole city moves — and one of the largest engineering undertakings in Queensland’s history.
An Engineer’s Work
The subjects Joseph chose at JPC became a profession — solving real problems on a project that matters to millions of people.
An Olympic Legacy
Work done today prepares Brisbane for the 2032 Olympic Games — a legacy Joseph is proud to have helped build.
I love Australia, I love what I do as an engineer here, and I’m proud to be part of the team improving Queensland’s infrastructure — preparing ourselves for the Olympics in 2032.
Joseph Vu · Hoàng Vũ · Vietnam
Every JPC Story Starts With a Choice
Joseph arrived from Vietnam and left with a career. Explore how JPC helps international students choose their subjects and their future — or begin your own journey.