Year 12 student, Jesse Oviss, has achieved legendary status at BSSC after the 2023 and 2024 ‘BSSC’s Got Talent’ quests showcased his incredible proficiency with the Rubik’s cube.
This year he reduced a crowded Ulumbarra Theatre to silence and then elated applause as he conquered the cube blindfolded—yes, blindfolded!
For those who think of the cube as pure novelty, think again. There are serious competitions—including Australian Championships—and experts are completing their cubes in remarkable times.
The current world record is 3.13 seconds.
When you consider that Jesse’s unofficial record time is 5.88 seconds, his official individual best time is 7.94 seconds, and his official average for five cubes is 9.91 seconds each—it’s clear he’s up there with dedicated cubers.
These achievements are particularly impressive when you consider he only began to take an interest in the Rubik’s cube in August 2022.
“I took it up because I was curious about how difficult solving it might be,” Jesse remembers. “It took me a few days to learn a basic cube and then I began to time myself just for fun—and got hooked.”
A couple of months later Jesse went to his first competition with 300 others in Melbourne and has since been to 14 other competitions—most recently the Australian National Championship in Adelaide.
A trivial pursuit? Jesse says, “No”.
Just for the super intelligent? Again, Jesse says, “No”.
“As well as being a great hobby, cubing has taught me how to put in effort because it’s not about intelligence; it’s about dedication.
“I’ve developed skills in how to commit to what I want to achieve and follow through.”
Jesse says his most challenging subject at school is English—yet he managed an ‘A’ in midyear exams this year—not because he’s a natural, but because he worked really hard and used methods that best set him up to succeed.
Jesse arrived into Year 11 at BSSC somewhat disengaged from school and disappointed not to have achieved any Year 10 awards or been identified as a ‘high ability student’.
“I knew I had to change.”
Jesse used this uncomfortable experience as a wake-up call and committed to becoming committed. Despite some disappointing results in Year 11, by the start of Year 12 you could say Jesse had ‘found his mojo’.
He has a good routine—getting to school at the same time each day—and his favourite place is the library: a space he finds ideal for completing homework, studying, or just chilling out.
“Keeping to a routine is one of the ways I keep stress under control and I think getting a good sleep is really—really—important. I’m usually in bed by 10pm and lights out within an hour.”
Time management and the VCE workload remain challenging and Jesse admits he easily gets distracted—and not just by cubing.
He greatly values the support of the library staff and his teachers—and a shared interest in the Rubik’s cube has added another dimension to some of these connections.
Jesse is also aware of the importance of friends.
“Ultimately, I don’t think I would be where I am academically without the new perspectives I’ve gained from some of my closest friends, and the study habits I have picked up from them.”
Study methods that work for him include listening to music and he has come to greatly value working collaboratively.
Future plans are not settled and in fact Jesse sometimes feels quite overwhelmed from pressures to have a more clearly defined pathway.
“What I do know is that I really want a career that doesn’t feel like going to work is a drag. I think it will be in the computer science area which has so many options.
“I feel like there is so much unfinished business and my greatest achievements are still ahead of me.”
Asked about who impresses him, Jesse says, “dedicated people who do whatever it takes to achieve what they want.”
Feliks Zemdegs is a Victorian who has been Rubik’s world champion twice and is a good example of someone with the qualities Jesse admires.
Jesse’s parents have been solid supporters and he’s grateful for other connections he’s made with people who inspire him.
Being able to recognise that he lives a privileged life has taught him to look at his complaints in the context of what others are going through.
Reflecting on BSSC generally, the word that comes to mind for Jesse is ‘diverse’.
“There are lots of cultures represented here, there are so many subject choices and such a big variety of learning/study areas.”
He recommends BSSC because its diversity makes it “fit for anyone’s needs”.
Still, “life sometimes sucks,” Jesse would tell his twelve-year-old self if he could go back in time. “But you have to keep going—which can feel forced—but it’s an incredibly valuable discipline and something I am so glad to have now learnt.”
