St John's College students smash the 2022 HSC with strong ATAR results

With 89 students completing the HSC and 80 being eligible for an ATAR, 84 offers of early university entry were given to the students.

This ranged from medicine, aerospace engineering, communications and media, teaching, allied health, exercise and sports science, psychology, international relations, law, science, medical science, design (architecture), political science, marketing and media, zoology, animal science, biomedical science, engineering, accounting and nursing amongst a range of other degree streams.

Top student Jed Porter, with an ATAR of 97.15 said he and his family were extremely happy with the results.

"I'm hoping to get into medicine next year, I'm applying around and I've had a couple of interviews and have a few more in January," he said.

"I'm pretty excited, a little bit nervous as well. It was a good year, a little bit stressful of course but overall I enjoyed it."

Amongst this cohort 20 students are pursuing apprenticeships, traineeships and TAFE. Additionally one student is going to the Australian Defence Force Academy and another has been accepted in to the Whitehouse College of Design.

College principal Nicole Morton said her teachers have surrounded the students with the support, care and range of experiences that have led to their success in the HSC.

"More importantly, our students leave the College confident in who they are and what they are able to achieve as active citizens in our community," she said.

With an ATAR of 91.95, Elizabeth Meadows will be taking a gap year before going to university to so something math based.

"Honestly I always wanted to achieve the best I could in the HSC. I was aiming for medicine initially but then I realised I can't deal with broken bones or surgery so I decided to rethink," she said.

Elizabeth thanked her "passionate" teachers for everything they have done for her over the past two years.

"The teachers we have are really passionate about the subjects they teach and they mirror the passion onto their students and that's what helps us have a drive to get the best we can and have fun in the classroom as well," she said.

Imogen Hope who will be attending the military university in Canberra said she had always wanted to follow in her family's footsteps.

"My dad and a lot of my family were in the military so it was something I wanted to carry on in our family," she said.

"There are so many opportunities and you get paid to study and don't pay for your degree which is great considering how much money normally goes towards university."

Three students were nominated for SHAPE and one successful exhibitor. In visual arts they had three nominations for ART express which resulted in two exhibitors.

One of those students was Charlotte Meadows.

"I've always been into art and I just got into ART express, so that's exciting," she said.

Charlotte will also be taking a gap year before she starts a course in Architecture at the University of Sydney after they offered her a scholarship.

"I got the mark I needed to get in to architecture at Sydney, it's something I've always been interesting in...it's what I want to do," she said.

Armaan Daddar was aiming for a 60 ATAR and walked away with 88.25, absolutely "smashing" his goal to be able to get into an accounting course at university.

"I was interested in finance regionally but Dubbo is pretty small so there aren't many finance jobs but with accounting it's really easy to get jobs and down the track to go out on your own," he said.

Coming from the city originally, Armaan said he wouldn't have gotten half the score he did had he stayed in the city.

"It got very crowded and with the teacher shortage you weren't getting that attention because the classes were a lot bigger. I'm glad I came here," he said.

This cohort achieved 113 band five and six results in a number of subjects and St John's students came first in the Diocese in the following subjects: Agriculture, Business Studies, Community and Family Studies, Design and Technology, Engineering, Geography, Extension Mathematics 1, Advanced Mathematics, Society and Culture, Software Design and Development, Chinese Beginners, Auto Exam, Electrotechnology, Primary Industries and IDT Network and Hardware.

Destyn Olysen and Patrick Davis both took a non traditional path to finishing their schooling life, one that paid off for the both of them.

Destyn started a school based traineeship with Skillset with her host employer Dubbo Regional Council.

"I started it in April 2021 and it counted towards my HSC, so it counted as a subject as well as having study periods for it. I was able to get the Certificate Three while still completing school," she said.

"It was difficult with COVID because the council shut for a long period of time but other than that it was pretty good, I got a lot of skills and experience from it which I've been able to carry on other aspects of my life and it's been really, really good."

Destyn will work full time at the council until she goes to study criminology at the University of Newcastle.

"It feels very accomplishing to get a certificate before you even finish high school," she said.

Patrick did a VET course through TAFE, earning himself a certificate two in automotive technology and vocational preparation.

"That basically gives me preparation to go straight into an apprenticeship. It's pretty good, it's a good part of the week getting to go out and get away from school and go and learn some stuff," he said.

Doing work placement with Dubbo City Toyota led Patrick to getting an apprenticeship with the motor dealership.

"If you are interested in something and there is a course available through TAFE or whatever, I would say do it because it is very rewarding," he said.

Year 12 leader Josh Galvin said he was "extremely impressed" with the achievements of the 2022 cohort.

"All students have contributed to the success of the cohort and to the culture of our community," he said.

An ATAR of 94.5 satisfied Belle Yeo who said a lot of effort went into achieving her results.

"I just needed to get over 90 to get into veterinary science so it was a bit of a bonus. It's a big sacrifice when studying and I can't spend time with the family, so I think it's a rewarding result for everyone," she said.

"I think stressful, but I think any challenge is still productive. It's been a tough year but a lot has come out of it."

Belle has signed herself up for another six years of study, but says she is ready for the new challenge.

Eva Lordan achieved two band six results and an ATAR of 93.85, something she was pretty excited about.

"I want to study law at the Australian National University, but it's a tough course to get into," she said.

Her legal studies class was what made Eva so interested. Originally wanting to be a police officer, Eva said she never thought she was smart enough to do something like law.

"When I started achieving things at school I thought 'oh maybe I can do this' and switched my plans," she said.

"I was very self motivated, it was my passion to study, it wasn't a bother to me. I think the main thing you have to do if you want to do well is work hard, it doesn't matter where you come from.

"I've seen a lot of people who were naturally smart and they didn't work and it shows. I was an average person in junior years but working hard does actually work and it's not impossible."

A goal of an ATAR above 75 was all Zoe Minney wanted and it's exactly what she got with a score of 84.55.

"I've gotten in to an honours of phycology at three universities so I've got to pick one...I want to get a doctorate in phycology because I think Doctor Minney sounds cool," she said.

One day Zoe would like to open her own phycology centre, with a focus on rural and remote health.

"I've always been interested in it, I didn't have a particular calling but it was something that was interesting to me," she said.

All the students wanted to thank their teachers, the school community, family members and friends for all the support they received over the past two years.

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