High-achieving students share their stories of SACE success against the odds

Just a year ago Maram fled her war-torn country and spoke barely any English. Just weeks ago she lost her sister to cancer. Today she is among this year’s SACE high achievers.

They’ve suffered heartbreaking family tragedies, faced daunting adversities and endured impossibly hectic schedules, but that hasn’t stopped this high-achieving trio from smashing their Year 12 goals.

Tooba Mumtaz lost both her parents during her most important academic year. Maram Salim had limited English just a year ago and went on to achieve one of the state’s top ATARs. And champion swimmer Gabriel Cregan squeezed his studies around his jam-packed swimming commitments.

Now, they have all been honoured in this year’s Governor of South Australia Commendations for Excellence in SACE.

High achieving students Tooba Mumtaz, Maram Salim, and Gabriel Cregan have all been honoured at this year’s Governor of South Australia Commendations for Excellence in SACE. Picture: Matt Loxton

Tooba Mumtaz, 24

It’s been a year of devastating heartbreak for Tooba, who lost her dad suddenly just a week before her Year 12 exams – and five months after her mum died from renal failure.

“It was traumatising but it was my dad’s dream to work hard and to achieve this award,” said the Thebarton Senior College graduate, whose 71-year-old dad died just 25 days after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

“I promised my dad I’d give my best and I’m pretty sure he must have been pretty proud of me and happy in heaven.”

Earlier in the year, Tooba’s 42-year-old mum also died suddenly in May after discovering she was in renal failure and receiving a couple of rounds of dialysis treatment.

But despite Tooba’s year of trauma and tragedy, the resilient 24-year-old – who returned to high school to study Year 12 after seven years of working in her family business – scored an impressive 95.85 ATAR.

Her family’s unbearable loss has now inspired Tooba to pursue a career in medicine. She has also achieved impressive results in the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).

“Hopefully I will get into medicine,” said Tooba, who was born in Pakistan but grew up in Malaysia and now lives in Ferryden Park.

“I feel like I want to save people’s lives because I can feel what someone feels when they lose their loved ones.

“Nobody can understand better than me. I just want to save lives, I want to make sure nobody feels what I felt when I lost my parents.”

Despite facing significant personal hardships, the trio still managed to achieve success being awarded the 2024 Governor of South Australia Commendations for Excellence in SACE. Picture: Matt Loxton

Maram Salim, 20

When Maram and her family arrived in Adelaide last year after fleeing the terrors of Palestine to start a new life, she spoke very little English. This week, she scored an almost-unbeatable ATAR of 99.95 and putting her on a path to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.

But it’s been a tough road for 20-year-old Maram, who completed a quick six-month English course, becoming proficient enough to start Year 12 at IQRA College at O’Halloran Hill this year.

Just weeks before her Year 12 exams, she suffered the heartbreaking loss of her 17-year-old sister to Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.

“I only had three days to lament the loss and then I had to go back to work,” Maram said.

“It was really hard, you’ve lost someone you’ve shared your whole life with and you used to share a room with and then suddenly that person is not there anymore and you don’t even have the time to lament that person.

“That was the biggest challenge that I’ve been through.”

Now, Maram is using her sister’s loss to drive her into a future of studying medicine and finding a cure for cancer.

“My sister is my special reason for wanting to do medicine,” she said.

“When you lose someone you’re very close to, you start wondering how and why and all of that.

“Hopefully, I can find a cure for that. I want to understand the science behind it.”

Maram said the key to her Year 12 success was “pushing yourself” and not giving up in the face of extreme trauma.

“You have to do what you have to do and pushing yourself,” said Maram, who studied biology, maths, Arabic and English as a second language.

“It doesn’t matter what you feel, even if you are tired, you have to do it and be grateful to yourself and so proud of yourself when you are finally there.”

Gabriel Cregan, 18

The champion swimmer’s weekly schedule was already jam-packed before he even started to think about his Year 12 studies this year.

The record-holding breastroke specialist, whose best 50m time is 30.35, attended two-hour early-morning training sessions at the Barossa Valey Swimming Club – a 70-minute drive from his Mount Barker home – followed up with strength-building classes in the gym every night.

During the year, Gabriel – who is a two-time state champion, currently holds 56 state swimming records and has swum for Australia at the Virtus Global Games in France last year – travelled interstate at least once a month for country, state and national swimming championships before sitting his Year 12 exams in October.

Despite his hectic schedule, the 18-year-old St Francis de Sales College captain found time to smash his Year 12 studies, scoring a 94.4 ATAR for his and being named among the Governor’s award-winners.

“My swimming added a challenge to Year 12 but I was able to keep on top of things,” he said on Monday after learning his result.

“It helped in making me a more organised and determined person.”

Gabriel, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was four and hopes to one day swim at the Paralympics, plans to study a bachelor of advanced science majoring in mathematics at Flinders University next year. He has moved to Immanuel Swimming Club to be closer for his university studies.