Gold Coast OP scores: Coast student are among Queensland’s smartest

Gold Coast students have been named among the smartest in the state.

GOLD COAST students have been named among the smartest in the state.

Two Gold Coast 2019 graduates were recognised among the 34 winners at the Queensland Certificate of Education Achievement Awards on Saturday.

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Somerset College student Kevin Song

Queensland Academy for Health Sciences graduate Aydin Neighbour received the Highest Achievement in the International Baccalaureate and Somerset College’s Kevin Song got a Distinguished Academic Achievers award.

The pair were last year made dux of their respective schools.

Mr Song, a Somerset College student since his Prep year, said he feels lucky to have had the opportunities it has provided for his education.

“I wouldn’t trade my schooling for anything else. I was lucky to have the opportunity to go to a school which nurtures your strengths, whether it’s academic, sport or music,” the former Captain said.

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Somerset College student Kevin Song with Headmaster Craig Bassingthwaighte.

“I am lucky to have been friends with most of my classmates for more than 13 years now and that has created a strong bond. We all have a common goal to succeed, every person there wants you to succeed.”

Mr Song said he had hoped to become a doctor from the age of five.

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He has now received offers to six universities around Australia to study medicine, and will move to Sydney to study at UNSW in the coming weeks.

“I am staying on campus, which will be a great experience and I am excited to meet new people and expand my network of friends,” he said.

This year was the fourth in a row Somerset College has been represented at the awards.

Mr Neighbour, who was ranked among the nation’s most exceptional Chemistry students at the Australian Chemistry Olympiad Summer school, starts a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of mathematics at the University of Queensland in 2020.