High achievers up with the best

After a lifetime of study, a handful of Albany students can tuck their textbooks away, knowing they have performed among the State’s best in the WA Certificate of Education examinations.

The highest achieving Albany student was Great Southern Grammar’s Campbell Harter, who scored an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 99.9 and was one of 40 students in the State to receive a general exhibition award from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

The 17-year-old sat the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test last year and hopes to be accepted to study medicine at the University of WA.

It is the equal highest score achieved by a student at the school. Daniel Blechynden achieved an ATAR of 99.9 in 2012.

“I’m very happy with that … I was hoping to get around 99 and I’m very glad to be a part of that history,” Campbell said.

The aspiring medical student credits his study habits to his success.

“Having support from family and friends always helps and I always tried to push myself and kept thinking that I only had once chance, so I needed to give it all I had,” Campbell said.

Meanwhile, Albany Senior High School graduate Sarah Munns was named WA’s most outstanding indigenous student by Education Minister Peter Collier on Tuesday.

Sarah achieved an ATAR of 98.95 and will receive $5000 from the State Government towards further education and training.

She said she was happy with her result and intended to have a gap year before studying a science degree at Murdoch University.

“I feel humbled and very surprised, but I feel quite proud of my effort and the acknowledgement for it,” she said.

Many more students from across the region were recipients of certificates of distinction, commendation and course exhibitions.