After a stressful year that school leavers are all too familiar with, today is the day where their hard work is realised.

These students are the ones that were the best of the best, going above and beyond to be crowned the dux of their school.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the highest performers from each of the 11 Ballarat region secondary schools.

Congratulations to all students throughout Ballarat and best of luck for whatever the future holds!

*Note: for the full captions, hover your mouse cursor over the image if you are viewing on a desktop. If you are viewing on a mobile device, hold your finger on the photo.