By Mikayla van Loon
The graduating class of 2022 were handed their final results last week as ATAR scores were released across the state and for local students it was a relief to have that milestone completed.
Scores were made available to students on Monday 12 December, which saw some of the best results for Lilydale High School (LHS) and a surprised college dux at Mount Lilydale Mercy College (MLMC).
For LHS, principal Wendy Powson said the school saw nine students achieve scores above 90 and 14 score in the 80s, alongside many in the 70s.
“A lot of the students who want to go into tertiary will get offers, so we’re really happy for them particularly after their Year 10 and 11 was so disrupted,” she said.
“Whether they’re in the 90s or 80s, or even if they’re going out to do apprenticeships, our aim is always about finding them a really good pathway that they’re happy with and that they thrive as they leave the school.”
The school’s dux Angus Balsdon said it was “just about consistency” and as someone who set “pretty robust study structures early on”, he found Year 12 to be a good experience overall.
Completing economics, history revolutions, further maths and English in a reduced work load, having done business and legal studies in Year 11, Angus was
Aiming to get into the four year law course at Monash University, with an added masters year, Angus said his ATAR would get him where he wants to go.
“I always strive for more, but all things considered, I’m pretty happy with it. It gets me into my course and that’s all that really matters,” he said.
LHS valedictorians Kelsey Horsnaill and Cooper Rouget, who found the announcement to be quite a surprise at the schools graduation ceremony, said Year 12 for them was both challenging and rewarding.
“It was very fun but also very hard to get back into it after a couple of lockdowns. So we were just taking it one day at a time trying to get through,” Kelsey said.
“It was a mixed bag. It was very stressful but one of the best years we’ve had at school,” Cooper said.
Coming out of lockdowns to complete their final schooling year, Cooper said he was “grateful that you’re not at home in that situation.”
Both aiming to get into allied health courses being occupational therapy and physiotherapy respectively, Kelsey and Cooper said their scores would get them there.
“I just wanted to make sure I could get into my course and I can, so I’m very grateful,” Kelsey said.
“I was a bit shocked with my ATAR in a good way. I was hoping for it but didn’t think I could get there.
“I feel like hard work pays off. So that’s what we were doing the whole year and it was really nice to be able to just see it on the screen and be like I did work hard for that and I got there in the end.”
MLMC also did extremely well in its ATAR results this year, with college dux Jack Drummond receiving a score of 99.3.
“I had hopes of scoring a 95 so to get a score of 99, I was really surprised. I’m really happy with that,” he said.
Hoping to complete a double degree in Science and Engineering at Monash University from next year, Jack said he’s “keeping my options open.”
With a love of science, Jack completed English language, specialist mathematics, maths methods, physics and chemistry this year, having already studied VCE music performance while in Year 11.
Achieving much while at the college, Jack was one of the school’s vice captains, participated in the college musical and the Kool Skools music recording project and said it added up to “the full Year 12 experience”, something he was grateful to be able to be a part of.
Overall, MLMC’s top 10 students received an ATAR score above 90, with Baxter Lill scoring 98.2, while Noah Ruta and Teagan McConachy each scored 97.45.
7.52 per cent of the VCE cohort who applied for an ATAR achieved a score above 90, 26.32 per cent of the cohort achieved above 80 and 45.11 per cent of the cohort achieved above 70, while 63.91 per cent of the cohort achieved an ATAR above 60.
“We are immensely proud of the achievements of the Class of 2022 students who demonstrated a passion for learning and achieving their best,” the school said.
“The College congratulates all Class of 2022 graduates who studied and achieved their results following an extraordinary three years of education impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We warmly wish all of our Class of 2022 students the very best for their future endeavours and look forward to seeing what the next chapter will bring.”
