By Daniel Dobos
Founder of VCEnet

Beyond providing students with practical advice, VCEnet exists to inspire action.

THIS IS HOW IT ALL BEGAN - in late 1998 I was an ordinary 19 year old working at a large corporation at the end of my second year of university. After several months of working closely with two graduates, I noticed that they were barely interested in their jobs.

That bothered me. Here were two intelligent people - with no shortage of talent and skill - that had become victims of their own thoughtlessness. They had failed to ask any of the tough questions despite excelling at their courses with high distinction. And now, here they were -- perfectly groomed, immaculately decorated, but hollow inside.

Suddenly, I realised that I had to be careful not to fall into that same trap - to question everything that I had so far taken for granted. So I took a close look at my life. Yes, I was doing well at university and enjoying it. Yes, I was lucky enough to have a loving family and wonderful friends. I was healthy, fit and energetic. But there was still something missing. Something important.

I could not articulate it then. But I later realised that I was in fact no different from my colleagues - I had silently accepted the structures that society had put before me and thoughtlessly worked within their constraints.

However, I did realise that I needed a challenge. I just wanted to do something different. It could have been anything - it simply had to originate from within me. It has to be based on my values, something that I believed to be important.

At the time, I was successfully tutoring many high school students. My recent, practical VCE experience combined with the friendly "student-to-student" relationship meant that the sessions were fun and productive. So I thought, 'Why not start a tutoring agency? What have I got to lose?'

And so it began. At the time I did not know that from the moment the tutoring agency was born a new era of my life would begin. But I sure could sense the excitement.

A friend of mine and I teamed up and worked around the clock to set up the tutoring agency. Within a few weeks, we were making it work. After six months, my friend decided that it was not for him, so he left. But the heightened responsibility only inspired me even more.

It was nearing the end of 1999 and the dot com industry was booming. I had to find out what all the fuss was about. I went to the library and came back with a truckload of books. I spoke to friends in business. I learnt HTML from an excellent and highly amusing web tutorial. I reflected on my VCE experience.

And then the idea of VCEnet emerged: top VCE performers providing both inspiring and practical advice to current VCE students. Who could provide more practical advice to VCE students than those who had just been through the joy and the heartache, and still managed to come out on top? Who better to alert VCE students that they can achieve their goals than those who had just achieved them?

There was a gush of excitement registering the business name - not quite knowing what I was doing but feeling certain that it was the best thing that I could be doing.

Then there was the hard reality of setting up a web site. There were technical problems, marketing problems, content problems - you name it. But it was this sense of excitement that gave me reserves of energy that I never knew existed within me. When you find an idea worth developing, you will realise that even those seemingly huge obstacles can be overcome.

And VCEnet was, and to this day continues to be, a worthy idea. It was not just a medium through which I could express myself. No, the reason why I still today remain passionate about VCEnet is because of something very concrete - it is the emails we receive from some of the 12,000 plus users who have benefited from VCEnet. Knowing that my struggle adds value to others - that it has a purpose - makes the struggle sustainable.

VCEnet has a very personal meaning for me too. Our commitment to assist those who are serious about their education, but lack the financial means, acknowledges the struggles that my parents faced when they came to Australia from the harsh realities of Romania. Beginning with close to nothing, they battled against the odds to create a life for themselves in a new land. In this sense, VCEnet has taught me to be grateful just to be alive and well today - to have the mere opportunity to extract the most from each living moment. Indeed I am excited to live!

VCEnet has been successful to date and I expect that it will continue to add even more value to both its users and its staff. I say this only because life has taught me that if you place your heart and soul into any one idea you give failure a different definition. That is, failure it is not about falling down, it is staying down. We all fall, but your heart keeps you moving so that in the end, you can only succeed. And success has nothing to do with money or fame or appearances or what anyone else thinks of you. These are just glowing distractions that exist to dilute your passion, weaken your resolve and sap your energy. To me, the foundation of success is a moment of personal honesty - that feeling of contentment which follows after you have displayed the courage to listen to your heart and then found the audacity to do what you know must be done.

I wish you the greatest success in everything you decide to do. Keep the emails coming!

All the best,

Daniel Dobos
dan@vcenet.com.au

Small Sample of the Emails That VCEnet Has Received

"VCEnet has been soooo very helpful to me... Thanks heaps."
-- Emily McPherson, VCE Student

"I have just finished year 12 and must say that part of my success was due to the fact that I found very useful information on the VCEnet website"
-- Stevan Neskovic, VCE Student

"Great article, tried it and it definitely helped me at a crucial time... thanx! "
-- Aditi Munim, VCE Student

"Very helpful and informative "
-- Renee Ziedaitis, VCE Student

"I have registered to your site and truly think that it is spectacular"
-- Azmi Alkan, VCE Student

"This is simply a complimentary e-mail. Personally I benefit from VCEnet, it's personal approach and useful insight into information that is often otherwise not easy to come by... Keep up the good work!!!"
-- Sharni Kelly, VCE Student

"…it was all great, good to hear from people who have already been there and done that"
-- Nikola Zaorska, VCE Student

"This is an Excellent website! Keep up the great work!"
-- Malinda Wij, VCE Student

"It's fabulous and somewhat comforting to be sent information like this from people who are not from boards and who are incredibly helpful in one sense and completely foreboding in another, ta"
-- Kate Dix, VCE Student

Authorities on the VCE:
"You are working on an excellent product… Your choice of topics and the issues were always relevant and topical and therefore very helpful… Keep up the good work."
-- Steve McGinley, VCE Coordinator at St Catherine's School

"Congratulations on a great site. I have drawn it to the attention of our Year 12 students. "
-- B. Taylor