Geelong’s top VCE students revealed
Check out the results of the top students in Geelong in our mega VCE honour roll, as students reveal why it means so much. EVERY 40+ SCORER
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Geelong students’ inspiring study efforts in the face of adversity have been laid bare in a list of high achievers.
Thousands of relieved students have celebrated the release of their VCE results, including almost 20,000 lucky Victorian students who received study scores of 40 or above.
These include 600 students who received perfect scores of 50 across 56 main subject categories.
Check out the honour roll below.
Our Jonny shows why he’s a VCE ace
Northern Bay College student Jonny Kelly has become the first member of his family to graduate while securing a scholarship to attend the University of Melbourne in 2022.
Jonny, who comes from a proud Indigenous background, said he feels “fulfilled” to have completed his education as a multiple scholarship recipient throughout his years, adding that his family are equally as proud.
“I have had great teachers and great peers who have encouraged me and helped me along my journey,” he said.
“It is a good achievement.”
While noting the struggles of the pandemic, Johnny said he was able to learn to self manage and stated the experience had some benefits.
“Completing VCE in Covid-19 was significant I’m not going to lie, but working from home and working individually hasn’t been the worst.”
Jonny is looking to start a bachelor of science at the University of Melbourne before moving on to study civil engineering.
“I have always loved sports, but I have equally enjoyed science,” he said.
As the recipient of a residential scholarship for Trinity College, Jonny said he looks forward to having a break and finishing the cricket season this summer before heading up to start his next chapter in Melbourne.
On his advice to the upcoming year 12 students, he said it is all about working hard.
“Hard work is what will really help you achieve the score you need.”
Geelong student’s mega ATAR amid family deport threat
North Geelong Secondary College student Joab Low said he was “surprised” to receive an ATAR of 93.95, a score he achieved while his family faced threats of deportation.
Having studied chemistry, physics, math methods, further maths, english and accounting, Joab said he was “jumping around” in excitement after discovering he had placed in the top 10 per cent of the state, despite not having any permanency in Australia.
The Geelong Advertiser has extensively covered Joab’s story which has attracted both community members and members of parliament who campaigned for his family to be granted permanent residency.
While in the midst of exams, Joab’s family were able to secure an extension on their visa but it only assured them an additional three months.
“Right now I’m not sure about my own situation,” he said.
“It’s uncertain after that three months.”
Despite the looming uncertainty Joab said his mother was “so proud that she wanted to cry,” as his success did not come without struggle.
Joab moved to Australia from Malaysia with his parents Mei “Jacqui” Chew, Wai Cheong “Des” Low and older sister Daphne under the skilled migration program in 2015.
“It has been a wild journey, six years ago we moved to Australia and three years later we get the news that my mother was struggling with ovarian cancer,” he said.
“After mum recovered the government said if the cancer resurfaces then the taxpayer’s money will have to pay for her medical fees.
“They were saying my mother would be a burden to Australia.”
The family’s bid for permanent residency was rejected in 2019 because Ms Chew no longer met the health requirements.
Since her recovery, Joab said his family has been given a series of three-month visa’s, with the latest extension occurring on November 8.
“I just tried putting it at the back of my mind and focusing on school,” he said.
Visit geelongadvertiser.com.au on Friday to search our interactive database of every ATAR score above 40
“I worked hard, I studied hard and my school is amazing, they helped me out so much.
“They provided me with what I needed as a student and the teachers paid attention to us.
“They gave me the right advice and provided the right materials and recourses.”
Joab says he now plans to study a bachelor of science before going onto study pharmaceutical engineering.
“I like chemistry and I thought why not medicine, my sister is also looking forward to being a doctor, so it is something similar in that field.”
North Geelong Secondary College Principal Nick Adamou said he was proud of students for using their resilience in order to overcome adversity.
“Given the circumstances our kids did really well, and they managed to push up our middle range of 40+,” he said.
“I’m very proud and very happy with this year’s results.”
Geelong students receive VCE results, schools’ dux revealed
Geelong’s Covid class of 2021 received their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) on Thursday after facing unprecedented challenges during their final two years of school.
Students from five schools received ATARs above 99, with Geelong College’s Edison Hang excelling with a score of 99.80.
Edison, who boarded at the school after moving from China in Year 10, said he was excited to have done so well.
He said his final years of school had been challenging because he had not been able to return to see his family until recently.
“I do feel like it was over my expectation but I’m pretty happy,” Edison said.
“When I saw the score, I was really excited, especially about my English results, I wasn’t expecting a 41.
“Even though it was hard because I wasn’t able to go home for the past two years, I’m grateful for the support of my teachers, tutors and especially my host family, the Hopes.”
College principal, Dr Peter Miller, said six students achieved scores over 99, with more than one third of our students achieve an ATAR over 90
“We are so proud of what has been achieved by all of our Year 12 students over the past two years,” he said.
“These outstanding academic results are the product of their hard work and commitment to high achievement, and with the VCE process now complete eagerly await their tertiary offers so that they can build on the experiences of this year and look to their bright futures.”
Geelong High School student Joe Doedell said he was “pretty happy” with his results and hoped to study law.
He said the past two years had been difficult but said all students had managed to adapt and cope with the challenges they faced.
“It was difficult, it was nothing that wasn’t achievable, but it was nothing like we had experienced before, we had to adapt and self-manage,” he said.
“The last few weeks it has been pretty good kicking back, stepping away from the hard work and celebrating each other’s success.”
Northern Bay College student Kami Jaan was the school’s dux and also received the highest study score in the college’s history – achieving a perfect score of 50 in VET sport and recreation.
Kardinia International College Principal Catherine Lockhart said more than 11.4 per cent of the school’s VCE students received an ATAR above 95, while 22.4 per cent received an ATAR above 90.
“Beyond the wonderful academic results of our VCE students, I would like to also highlight the achievements of students that have wholeheartedly embodied our vision of acting as agents of positive and sustainable change and have displayed outstanding contributions to the College,” she said.
Belmont Secondary College principal Sandra Eglezos said: “I am pleased with the results and the number of 90 plus scores given the challenging year that they have had”.
Across Victoria, 39 students achieved an ATAR of 99.95, the highest possible rank.
Of those students, 28 were boys and 11 were girls.
The average ATAR score was 69.26. The girls’ average was 70.6, while boys averaged 67.62.
Almost 14,000 students received at least one study score of 40 or more out of 50.
— with Herald Sun
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Originally published as Geelong’s top VCE students revealed
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