Holly Rankin & Vincent Jensen

Class Acts: Episode 04

Holly Rankin is best known as the ARIA and APRA nominated recording artist  “Jack River”. But before shooting to indie music stardom, Holly played the lead role in “Grease: The Musical” at Great Lakes College on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. 

At Great Lakes College, Holly thrived with the support and guidance of music teacher extraordinaire - and SRC supervisor - Vincent Jensen.

And that support came at a critical period, after an unimaginable family tragedy. “Through these incredibly tough years for me at home, the role of music and leadership at school provided me with so much stability and safety,” Holly says. “My ambition and my potential as a person was still held and nurtured. It helped me to survive that time in my life”.

This emotionally-charged episode of Class Acts is a testament to how public schools provide so much more than classroom instruction, including helping some students deal with devastating loss and profound grief.