Meet Gold Coast’s highest achieving Year 12 students of 2024
Schools across the city have announced their duxes and highest achieving students for this year. Meet some of the Gold Coast’s most gifted students.
Education
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Aileen Hu
Aileen Hu
What will you be studying next year?
I‘m waiting on some decisions still, but I will be commencing a bachelor’s degree either at the University of Melbourne or overseas. I’m not sure in what yet but something that combines the humanities and sciences, because I really love that interdisciplinary space, and some degree, a bachelor’s degree that will allow postgraduate study as well.
How has your school prepared you for your career?
The support from all my teachers at St Hilda’s and my peers has been really what inspired me to strive for success in my studies, both inside and outside of the course. Not only in my academics, but really just inspiring me to grow as a whole person and learning how to contribute to the world with what I’ve learned.
How much work did you put in weekly to become this year’s dux?
I actually did nine university courses this year as well. I think that took up a lot of my time, as well as my co-curricular activities. I would say a couple of hours every night, but I would say a lot of my time this year has been dedicated to my university studies, and my co-curricular involvements.
Any advice for 2025 Year 12s?
I would say having a strong mindset is very important. I really think it’s important for people to believe, for students to believe in themselves as they’re commencing year 12, and to really believe that you can achieve and to work tirelessly towards your goals if you believe they are the right decision and the right direction.
Judy Zhang
What will you be studying next year?
I want to study medicine. For me there’s this question I always want to answer, and it’s why we’re human, like what makes us human? And I feel like medicine itself is just very raw. It really showcases humanity on its basic level, if that makes sense, so I’m just really drawn into the humanness of medicine. I’ve applied for Sydney, so hopefully at the University of Sydney or Griffith University.
How has your school prepared you for your career?
From year seven, they’ve prepared me for society, they’ve provided so many opportunities, like Qscan, which is a medical internship. They’ve prepared me with interviews and just so many resources, also the teachers, I just really, really love the teachers. They’ve helped me so much.
How much work did you put in weekly to become this year’s dux?
I feel like organisation is really important so I’ve always made sure to get things done and not forget about doing stuff. Before externals, I think for a month I started preparing. I would just not look at any shows or just not read, and just study. I think I put in up to eight hours of study a day. Once you just do it, you get into a routine and you just get used to it.
Any advice for 2025 Year 12s?
Just don’t be scared to ask your teachers for help. I remember for engineering, the day before, I was still emailing my teacher, and he would still reply so quickly, they’re just always here to help you, so don’t be scared.
Audrey Kuk
What will you be studying next year?
I’m hoping to study in the US, to study politics and economics or public policy. I think Economics and Policy are pretty tangible fields for me to make a real impact, make some real change. I think that’s the best part about those academic fields.
How has your school prepared you for your career?
St Hilda’s especially, being an all girls institution, all of us, girls are really encouraged to be confident and have our voices heard. I think knowing your worth and knowing how to use your voice, which I’ve learned at St Hilda, is really important for any job but particularly in Economics and Policy. Politics, where it’s very male dominated, it’s very important to know your worth. I’m pretty confident to say that I have learned my worth.
How much work did you put in weekly to become this year’s dux?
A couple of weeks before externals I was doing six hours a day. But that was the two weeks before, that was like the sprint and I think consistency is important.
Any advice for 2025 Year 12s?
I think my biggest piece of advice would be to build habit and routine, because it’s a long, long marathon, and it’s really important to have a strategy and know your strengths and weaknesses and build a routine around that. Don’t beat yourself up and manage your expectations.
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN SCHOOL
Lok Kei Rosalyn Cheung
Lok Kei Rosalyn Cheung received an ATAR of 99.95
Angus Slater
Angus Slater received an ATAR of 99.95
Seungho James Shin
Seungho James Shin received an ATAR of 99.95
HILLCREST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
Jaeyun (Nate) Chang
What will you be studying next year?
I’ll probably study Dentistry [at University of Queensland]. A lot of my dad’s mates are dentists and I’ve been exposed to that kind of environment where I get to experience how it feels like to be a dentist and then, ever since then, I just kind of wanted to be a dentist, ever since I was young.
How has your school prepared you for your career?
In terms of my commitment and then how to try hard to achieve what I want to do. That kind of mindset, the school definitely helped me preparing in that way and then also learning English and everything I kind of had to learn in school too. I moved in year seven and I literally didn’t know how to speak English at all.
How much work did you put in weekly to become this year’s dux?
This year, especially, I put a lot of effort. Basically after school I would go to the library and then stay there until like 11pm or 12pm, come back home, and then go to sleep and then it all over again.
Any advice for 2025 Year 12s?
Definitely enjoy the time at school, especially because school stuff is definitely stressful but year 12 was definitely my most fun year, and I enjoyed it the most. So getting rid of that stress at school is probably the best thing to do.
TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN COLLEGE
Ella Triandafyllou
What will you be studying next year?
I’m going to uni to do a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Griffith [University]. With my time in school, I was mostly enjoying biology and environment so I wanted to go into a field of research where I could help.
How has your school prepared you for your career?
Tamborine Mountain College was definitely really good for me. I think it helped because we’re such a small school, so I was able to get a lot of help from my teachers, but it’s mostly just with the referencing and then with the curriculum as well. They taught me how to properly look at what I where I’m getting my marks from, and then how to build off of that and make my assignments.
How much work did you put in weekly to become this year’s dux?
It’s hard to say, honestly, I think I would say that I put a lot of effort and work in while I was at school and I could talk to my teachers, because I’m someone that needs to, if I’m getting feedback and working, I need to be able to ask questions in person, and then at home I would, I would not do as much, but when I was at school, I would be definitely working a lot through class.
Any advice for 2025 Year 12s?
I would definitely say, try not to leave things to the last minute because sometimes there’s questions that you need to be there and speak to your teachers in person and you can’t do that if you leave stuff until the end. Be in the moment and speak to your teachers while you can to get help. That’s what helped me the most.
ARCADIA COLLEGE
Molly Smith
What will you be studying next year?
I’ll do my diploma of health, and then I’ll do my Bachelor of Social Work. I've been deciding between Counseling and Psychology and nursing. I just wanted to do something that helps people, but I just decided on social work at the end of it.
How has your school prepared you for your career?
My school offered me the Unistart Program to be able to go into university without an ATAR. The program involves like, getting you ready for university so pays you how to write essays and assessments and stuff like that.
How much work did you put in weekly to become this year’s dux?
It was a lot. I don’t even know how to describe it.
Any advice for 2025 Year 12s?
Just keep going, because it may seem hard at one point, but at the end of the day, it benefits you.
Tell us who the highest achiever at your school was
tahlia.leathart@news.com.au
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