HSC 2022 results: Students open HSC results following First in Course reveal

After 13 years of schooling, including disrupted learning throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the wait is finally over for thousands of Year 12 students across NSW as they access their results. Search who came first in every course.

Barker College and Meriden have a number of students who came first in their HSC courses.

After 13 years of schooling, including disrupted learning throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the wait is finally over for thousands of Year 12 students across NSW as they access their results.

Nervous students were able to jump online Thursday morning to access their results ahead of the official, public release at midday.

The statewide release of results follows yesterday’s announcement of students who came first in their courses.

Zayn Boulad was one student recognised for his success at an official ceremony in Sydney.

An attitude adjustment saw the Bankstown boy with a non-English speaking background soar to the top of the class, awarded first in state for a HSC English course.

The 18-year-old Alpha Omega Senior College student, was recognised as the state’s top achiever in English Standard.

Zayn’s path was not one he or his family could’ve predicted.

Instead, he said it took an epic change of mindset to succeed in what he once considered his worst subject, one he “went through 13 years of schooling really despising”, in a language he didn’t speak until he started Kindergarten.

“I grew up speaking Arabic and Turkish, hated English my whole life. It was all negative,” he said.

“I wasn’t even coming first in my grade, so to come out with this achievement is an honour and a pleasure.”

Zayn Boulad from Alpha Omega Senior College. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The intervention of his English teacher, Diana Hussein, and other faculty members who wanted to see him succeed changed everything.

“I’ll never forget the time Diana pulled me out of class and said ‘right now, the way you’re going, you’re going to get a Band 4’,” Zayn said.

“I changed my mindset towards English. Walking in (to the HSC exam) I was very confident and I was ready to tackle any question. Walking out, I felt like the exam was made for me.”

The phone call he received confirming he had topped the state came as a complete shock to the teenager, who said he was jumping up and down in his house at the “unbelievable” news.

“My parents are so proud, my mum actually teamed up and started crying. It was beautiful.”

Zayn said his story proves all the stereotypes about Western Sydney and its migrant communities wrong, and that academic achievement isn’t predicated on what your first language.

“It doesn’t matter where you came from.”

As for where life is going to take him next, Zayn said he hasn’t committed to a university or course yet but is looking into business, IT or health science.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell, centre, in green, with the highest achievers at the HSC 2022 First in Course Awards at UNSW in Kingsford on Wednesday. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“I’m keeping my options open. Hopefully in the next couple of months, before uni starts, (and) when the ATARs come out I get a couple of offers, but I’ll see – I haven’t narrowed it down to just one yet.”

FIRST IN COURSE ACES REVEALED

Confirmation of Zayn’s achievement came as NSW schools revealed the aces up their sleeves, with star students at the state’s religious independent schools taking out multiple first in course titles in the 2022 HSC.

Two private Anglican schools and a Catholic girls’ school are giving the public selective high schools a run for their money with fourteen number ones between them.

Meriden, an Anglican girls’ school in Sydney’s inner west, is 2022’s champion of the first in course ranks. Five of the school’s students have taken top spot in six subjects.

Talented youngster Eunice Yu-Tong Thi has claimed first in course for both Music 2 and Music Extension.

Hornsby coeducational school Barker College, meanwhile, has three students at the cream of the crop; Modern History buff Joanna Kong, Legal Studies eagle Tom Vercoe and rex of Latin Extension Charles Recchia.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell hands out certificates and congratulations at the HSC 2022 First in Course Awards. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Catholic school Loreto at Kirribilli is also putting forward two students with three first-in-courses between them. Mia Drummond Young has placed first both in Visual Arts and PDHPE.

Sydney Grammar School, which dominated the 2021 HSC’s first in course awards, has three top-of-class titles – two belonging to Greek Continuers and Extension student Thomas Henderson.

Four students of Western Sydney academically selective school Baulkham Hills High have come first in one of their subjects each – Yoel Yoffe, first in the state in Economics, Daniel Wang, first in Mathematics Advanced, Kaleb Lui, first in Software Design and Development and Nandini Karri, first in Korean Beginners.

Premier Dominic Perrottet commended the “exceptional” 126 students finishing first or joint first in 114 HSC courses.

Another course winners receives his award. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Ms Mitchell said the winners “deserve to be celebrated”. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“These young people have shown what can be achieved when you combine ability with passion and commitment- qualities which will prove invaluable throughout their careers and lives.”

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the triumphant students “deserve to be celebrated” and thanked the schools, teachers, parents and carers who supported them.

For the first time, commendation awards are being issued to 14 school communities who persevered in supporting students through flood disasters which have hit parts of the state multiple times in 2022.

“It is also important that we celebrate students who have achieved outstanding outcomes in the face of adversity,” Ms Mitchell said.

Commendation for Resilience awards went to Bede Polding College in South Windsor, Casino Christian School, Emmanuel Anglican College in Ballina, Evans River Community School in Evans Head, Mullumbimby High School, Richmond Christian College in Ballina, the Rivers Secondary College’s Kadina campus, Lismore campus and Richmond River campus, St John’s College in Woodlawn, Sutherland Christian College Gullinvah, Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, Xavier College Ballina, Skenners Head and Sathya Sai College, Murwillumbah.