Old Boys Jonathan Whyte and George Castrisos started at Churchie together in 2005 as grade 7 students and graduated in 2010, each with an OP1. With shared academic and sporting interests they soon became close friends. Their like-minded enthusiasm for maths and science saw them end up in many of the same classes. In co-curricular activities, they participated as teammates and against each other in sports such as cricket, rugby, tennis and athletics. At the 2010 GPS Track & Field Championships, Jonathan was starter in the Open 4x100m relay team and George ran the anchoring leg. George was also School Vice-Captain and Captain of the 1st XI Football team.

Having sat the Undergraduate Medical and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) during year 12, both were accepted into the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program (MBBS), preceded by a 2-year undergraduate Bachelor of Science (BSC). They spent the first one and a half years of their undergraduate degree at Kings College where they forged many life-long friendships and continued their strong participation in sporting and social activities.

At the end of their first year, Jonathan and George arranged an elective placement for two months to the Nha Trang General Hospital in Vietnam. This eye-opening experience inspired them both to pursue a surgical career. For their internship year in 2017, honing their skills in clinical medicine and patient care at the Princess Alexandra (PA) Hospital provided a wide breath of experience in different areas of medicine; Jonathan decided to pursue a career in Ophthalmology and George in Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery. Over the next two years at the PA, both worked towards the goal of being accepted onto their respective surgical training programs, before finally being separated in 2020; Jonathan heading to the Sunshine Coast and George to Rockhampton. Starting in 2022, both have been accepted into surgical training programs in their chosen fields.

Since meeting at Churchie, Jonathan and George have become best mates and developed a lifelong friendship. They have been fortunate to share their journey together, which has helped them overcome any challenges they have faced along the way. They remain ever grateful to Churchie for providing the foundation for their education and shaping them into well-rounded young men, as well as the support the wider Churchie community continues to provide.