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Around 1000 Ballarat students were among 45,465 teenagers across the state who woke up early Friday to find out the result of their years of VCE hard work. ATAR scores were available online from 7am with many enduring a sleepless night waiting to learn their results. Three Ballarat teens, two from Ballarat Clarendon College and one from St Patrick's College, achieved a near perfect 99.9 with dozens more across the city achieving stellar marks. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Photos of Ballarat's year 12 graduates of 2019 way back when they were preps Across the state, the average ATAR was 67.74, with girls achieving a slightly higher result on average than boys: A total of 37 students attained the highest possible ATAR of 99.95, 29 of them male and eight of them female. This year, nearly 21,969 study scores of 40 or more were awarded. Read below the stories of the highest scorers from every Ballarat secondary school. BALLARAT HIGH SCHOOL Dux: Erin Dermody ATAR: 93.7 Subjects: maths methods, English, chemistry, German. Completed year 12 further mathematics and VET music last year. Erin Dermody knew she needed an ATAR of 90 to take up the offer of a Hansen Scholarship to cover her university and accommodation costs - so her relief when she found out her ATAR was 93.7 was palpable. On a holiday along the Great Ocean Road, Erin was too nervous to open the email containing her score and waited until Ballarat High School deputy principal Ian Van Schie rang her with the good news soon after 8am. Unlike her peers who will be eagerly awaiting university offers, the scholarship guarantees Erin a place in the Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne University and provides her accommodation, a living allowance, mentoring and pastoral care as well as academic, cultural, career and other development opportunities. Erin has a firm career path she is working towards - a Bachelor of Biomedicine, a Doctorate of Medicine then specialising in either obstetrics or surgery. She achieved her high score through consistent work, listening to her body and a balance between casual work and school work. "It was very hard. I had my part time casual job so I got to step away from study and had amazing friends there who supported me," she said. "I just tried to keep consistent, to know when I was going too far and had to step back from it and calm myself. That happened a couple of times, especially toward the end of term three and four when I was burned out a bit so I went out and saw my friends, my boyfriend and I like drawing and art so I did that." She said the key to success was to find a balance early and not push yourself past what you know you can do - and to call on teachers who are there to offer help and support. BALLARAT CLARENDON COLLEGE Duxes: Olivia Putland and Yang Liu ATAR: 99.9 Subjects: Olivia - further mathematics, maths methods, English, psychology, chemistry. Completed year 12 biology last year. Yang - English, chemistry, physics, specialist maths, maths methods. Completed year 12 biology and further maths last year. Two potential doctors topped the VCE charts at Ballarat Clarendon College with Olivia Putland and Yang Liu both achieving near-perfect ATARs of 99.9 and planning a career in medicine. Mildura girl Olivia has been boarding at Clarendon for the past two years and, having experienced the rural doctor shortage first hand, wants to make a difference. "I want to help out in that and I also love science and being able to have a positive impact on other people, so medicine will enable me to combine what I love doing in to a career," she said. Olivia has been offered scholarships to study medicine at both Melbourne and Monash Universities and will comb through their courses to pick the best fit for herself. "I didn't really have a number in terms of a goal ATAR, I just wanted to do the best I could and not put too much pressure on myself." Olivia combined captaining school cricket and netball teams, being girls boarding house leader, community service and weekly visits to Nazareth House with her study schedule. "It's a big of a juggling act but you have to focus on consistency and balance - knowing when to put time in to school work and when to have a break." Yang was so nervous about his ATAR he distracted himself watching YouTube videos and finally checked his score at 7.30am. "I was just going in to it thinking whatever I get, I get and it turned out pretty well," he said. His goal is to study medicine at Monash University and specialise in oncology. "It's such a dynamic field and there's always something new popping up with new discoveries," he said. ST PATRICK'S COLLEGE Dux: Matthew Duffy ATAR: 99.9 Subjects: specialist maths, physics, English language, Japanese as second language. Completed year 12 maths methods and visual communications last year. St Patrick's College student Matthew Duffy was one of the three students across Ballarat to achieve an almost perfect score of 99.9. All year he had been hoping to score above 99, but was surprised when he found an extra nine on his emailed score. "Mum and I have been on a getaway in Hobart and when I opened it we were both screaming, joyous screaming," he said. Matthew said he had slept poorly all week as the ATAR results date drew closer, but didn't wake until 7.30am to check his score. His goal is to study science at Melbourne University and concentrate on maths/physics - though where that might take him he's not sure. "I don't really know yet. I'm just looking to see where it takes me and what hones my interest ... maybe a career in research," he speculated. The thrill of solving a problem it what attracts him to both maths and science. "It's the aspect of discovery to it, and with maths there's definitely a creative side which I find thrilling. When you manage to crack something that's the thrill that would be good to chase." Matthew balanced his studies with performing in the school musical, taking part in the school band, public speaking and debating. "When you are going through year 12 it does feel like it's never going to end. Even when exams come along, because for the entire course of the year it's been a build up to exams that are very far away, you don't believe you're actually doing them. "But you definitely need to find a balance, do what you are passionate about and if you want to do well yo have to put in the effort that you are comfortable with," he said. MOUNT ROWAN SECONDARY COLLEGE Dux: Chloe Linahan ATAR: 78.75 Subjects: English, further mathematics, business management, physical education, health and human development Mount Rowan Secondary College's highest ATAR scorer hopes long commutes are in her future. After aiming for an ATAR above 70, Chloe hopes her 78.75 will earn her a place in a double degree in business and design at Swinburne University. "I like designing things, I like architecture and sports management so I'm going to go in to that and see where it takes me," she said. And if she gets in to the course she's decided that, at least in her first year, she'll commute to the other side of Melbourne for the course. The small but strong cohort of year 12s at Mount Rowan supported each other throughout the year, and offered plenty of highlights and a balance to the challenging requirements of VCE. "I played basketball once a week and worked (at Coles) throughout the year so it is possible to balance everything. I would just say to next year's year 12s to enjoy the year as much as you can and definitely keep up with sporting, work and social commitments." PHOENIX P-12 COMMUNITY COLLEGE Dux: Amber Dennis ATAR: 83.35 Subjects: chemistry, biology, maths, physical education, literature, psychology Picking up psychology in year 10 and biology in her senior years provided Phoenix P-12 Community College dux Amber Dennis with the goal she needed - a goal to study biomedicine and help cure disease. Amber had a sleepless night on Wednesday before jumping online at 7am to find her ATAR of 83.35. She hopes it's enough to earn her a place studying biomedicine at Deakin in Geelong or Monash University. "When I did psychology in year 10 I found out I like learning about the human body, and I like learning about the mind and find the brain interesting, then when I started doing biology I learned more about the human body which made me want to study to cure disease - then I found the biomedicine course which really clarified what I want to do," she said. Amber said she was "stoked" with her score after a really stressful year - but she admits to not understanding the stress earlier in the year. "In term one I remember thinking year 12 wasn't that bad because I was on top of my homework, and wondered why everyone was complaining ... but that was the last time I thought or felt that this year," she laughed. "I think back to that feeling and then think how stressful it really was." Part time work in a cafe gave Amber a break from study each week. "You just have to work hard, put your head down and get things done. I'm not a perfect student but you have to remind yourself what you want to keep yourself on track," she said. BALLARAT CHRISTIAN COLLEGE Dux: Joshua Van Den Hoek ATAR: 98.15 Subjects: English, maths methods, further maths, chemistry, Certificate III in Christian Studies. Completed year 12 music performance and biology in 2018. Ballarat Christian College school captain Joshua Van Den Hoek jumped online soon after getting up at 6am to await his ATAR. A few minutes before 7am his email inbox pinged and he moved quickly. And for Joshua it was good news - a result of 98.15 which he hopes will gain him a place to study medicine at Monash University. "I was aiming for 95 and anything above that was going to be happy - this is representative of my hard work and I'm pretty happy about it," Joshua said. His mum was in tears. Joshua had his sights set on medicine, and eventually specialising as a cardiothoracic surgeon or neurosurgeon, after his father died of a heart attack three years ago. "My dad passed away and that was my inspiration to help people in health," he said. Joshua balanced English, maths methods, further maths and chemistry with a Certificate III in Christian Studies. Last year he completed two final subjects in music performance and biology. And in addition to being College Captain, Joshua was involved in two school bands and worked as a tennis coach. He believes having outside interests helped the stress of schoolwork. "I encourage next year's year 12s to make sure they have a good amount of breaks - still do their hobbies and not just focus on school work," he said. DAMASCUS COLLEGE Dux: Imogen Brown ATAR: 96.95 Subjects: English, legal studies, literature, media, religion and society. Completed year 12 health and human development last year. A gap year and a challenging trek on the Kokoda Track await Damascus College dux Imogen Brown, who surprised herself with an ATAR of 96.95. Throughout the year Imogen was working toward an ATAR over 80 to land herself a place in the University of Melbourne's Bachelor of Arts course where she plans to major in politics and international studies. "I was aiming for about 80 so my score was definitely a shock and I had to look at it a couple of times." Imogen celebrated her score on a planned shopping trip in Melbourne with friends. "I'm planning on working a lot next year and also going to Kokoda with my dad and brother on a fundraising trip. One of our friends has narcolepsy so we are raising awareness and money for that before the trek in July," she said. Imogen said striking a balance between school, a social life and part time work at Kmart had been challenging. "I've definitely had a lot of fun. I've been working all year, going to festivals, turning 18 and definitely feel like I didn't sacrifice any of that social side. "I kept school oriented during the week then tried to have some fun on the weekend. Looking forward to Friday is what kept me sane during the year," she said. BALLARAT GRAMMAR Duxes: Sophie John and Thomas Burnett ATAR: 99.75 Subjects: Sophie - history, literature, global politics, art, art theory. Completed year 12 English, religion and society last year. Thomas - chemistry, physics, specialist maths, English language, French. Completed year 12 Latin and maths methods last year. Thomas Burnett was a model of restraint after his VCE ATAR score email arrived in his inbox at 6.40am - 20 minutes ahead of schedule. With his mum out for a walk and planning to be home at 7am to find out the result together, Thomas made himself a coffee and waited. It was worth the wait as he opened the email to find a score of 99.75. But it will be bittersweet as he'll be moving to Canberra to study maths and physics at Australian National University in a Bachelor of Science (honours - science) degree. Thomas will get a taste of ANU life this summer when he takes part in the prestigious National Mathematics Summer School in Canberra for two weeks. Thomas isn't sure where the degree will take him - hopefully in to industry or research - but he's keen to take every opportunity offered to him. In addition to his year 12 subjects, Thomas also took part in the University of Melbourne physics extension program, catching the train to Melbourne one afternoon a week for physics classes. "Although it doesn't necessarily help me in the big picture and it took time away from other studies, it's about taking every opportunity," he said. Excited to achieve the high score, Thomas said it wasn't all about that final ATAR. "Don't stress about the score. Try to just learn as much as you can while you've got amazing opportunities at school. There are countless pathways to what you want to do - what matters is the learning before the score." Sophie John shared the high-scoring spotlight, also achieving a 99.75. "It was a long night waiting but I certainly was not expecting that kind of result - I had to check it a few times," she laughed. Sophie isn't yet set on a career but hopes to study a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne and see what takes her fancy. "I'll move down to Melbourne and hopefully stay in a residence down there. The degree has a lot of different pathways so I'll just see it where it ends up - there are so many different ways and opportunities that Melbourne has." Sophie balanced school work with sport, community service, friends and working at Lavandula Lavendar Farm near her Daylesford home. "You have to remember to have fun with this year. It's such a good time to just enjoy being there, having fun and you can't get too caught up in everything. Know when it is time to focus but don't get consumed by it," she said. WOODMANS HILL SECONDARY COLLEGE Dux: Maclayne Reilly ATAR: not disclosed Subjects: chemistry, physics, biology, English, further maths A recently discovered love of languages could see Woodmans Hill Secondary College top scorer Maclayne Reilly head to Korea as a scientist. Although he was a little disappointed with his ATAR and unsure whether it would get him entry to a double degree in science and arts at Monash University, he's determined to explore every pathway to achieve his dreams. "I've loved science since I was young, and wanting to do the arts degree is more about language - I've recently got in to learning languages at the moment as I'm learning Korean. I'm hoping to go to Korea and do something over there with science but I'm not quite sure what." The appeal of science is that it offers answers. "There's always a scientific explanation, a direct answer to everything," he said. Finding a balance between study and work changed partway through the year when Maclayne started a cleaning job at Sovereign Hill. "The subjects weren't overly difficult to balance with work, I managed most of it but sometimes had to cram for tests," he said. MOUNT CLEAR COLLEGE Dux: Zachary Lee ATAR: 96.15 Subjects: specialist maths, English, physics, music performance: Completed year 12 chemistry, Japanese and maths methods last year. Zachary Lee is the first to admit his study habits from year 11 wouldn't have proved a success in year 12. But he's thankful he changed them as it meant he achieved an ATAR of 96.15 which should easily get him in to the university courses he has been aiming for. "Last year I sort of slacked off and didn't do a lot of study, but I picked up come this year, knuckled down, did more revision and went in to exams with much more confidence," he said. Zachary was aiming for an ATAR around 85 to get him a place studying science at the University of Melbourne or engineering at RMIT. Toward the end of the year he estimated his score would be around 90, but 96.15 was a "pleasant surprise". With interests in science and engineering, Zachary isn't sure what his future holds. "I genuinely do not know, that's why I'm looking at undergraduate science at Melbourne because it's very broad, and if I decide I want to do chemistry I can transfer the major, or if I do engineering I'm looking at aerospace engineering," he said. With his parents left for work before 7am, Zachary had to ring to tell them his score. "They were very excited," he said. Music has helped him strike a balance during the demands of year 12. "I'm quite big on my music and I've done lots of band which I found to be quite a relaxer and keep my mind off things," he said. "Definitely don't get rid of extra-curricular activities during year 12. They're a really good break from study rather than just every night going home and smashing out a bunch of study." LORETO COLLEGE Dux: Lara Sartori ATAR: 97.9 Subjects: English, accounting, specialist maths, French. Completed year 12 sociology last year. Lara Sartori was at work packing boxes of books for the 2020 school year when she received a call that she was the 2019 dux of Loreto College. "I wasn't expecting to be dux; I was hoping to get over 90 but not that far," she laughed after achieving an ATAR of 97.9. Lara said she was proof that a chilled attitude to year 12 could deliver good results. "I don't think I took it too seriously. I was pretty chilled and didn't stress out," she said. Her ATAR should give her entry in to either of the courses she is considering - a Bachelor of Science, engineering or commerce. "I might go to Melbourne University to do a Bachelor of Science, but I definitely like maths so I'm thinking of engineering, or I like commerce too so I need to think about it," she said. Physical activity - playing netball and going to the gym most days - helped Lara feel in control of her studies. "Year 12 is probably the best year of school. It's important to enjoy it as well as do well academically, so do your best and don't stress," she advised next year's year 12s. Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.

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