HSC results released: Meet Port Macquarie's high achievers

Students across the state were waking up early to read their results on Thursday, December 14 with Port Macquarie students being no exception.

Here's how some of our local school students fared.

Graduating students at MacKillop College gathered on campus for a special breakfast celebrating the HSC students.

Tia McGrath who one of the students from the college listed as a 2023 HSC all-round achiever, has finished her year with 98.35.

"I was hoping for higher than a 97 so I'm really happy with the 98.35," she said.

"I'm actually hoping to get into medicine so I hope that the ATAR can get me there.

"I've already done a UCAT and interview for a couple of universities so it's just dependent on how I go in those now."

Other students who made the 2023 HSC all-round achiever lists include Lottie Wilson who scored a 98.30 and Fererik Morris who's 98.80 made him Dux of Mackillop College.

Fellow student and school Vice Captain Elliot Worner also scored well with an ATAR of 96.80 and three subjects receiving a band six.

"I'm really happy with all my results," he said.

"I wasn't expecting it but I'm pleasantly surprised.

"It was a really good finish to school and I'm proud of what I've done which is what I wanted."

Elliot, who already has early admission for chiropractics at Macquarie University, had aimed to get an ATAR in the 90s range.

His tips for future student's is to get a study plan sorted.

"Don't put too much stress on yourself," he said.

"Just do your best and if that's what you can achieve or need to achieve, go for it."

"It's possible."

Students and staff from both campuses of Hastings Secondary College were down at Salty Crew Kiosk to celebrate the release of results

Student Eyerusalem Southon who works at the Kiosk, was serving her peers and other customers after having already checked her results this morning before her shift started at 6am.

She received at ATAR score of 87.25

"I didn't really have a score in mind but I knew that was something I was wanting," she said.

"It was a very big goal but I put my head down, kept studying, kept organised and kept going to my teachers.

"It was a possibility so I'm really happy with the result."

Eyerusalem had been working during Year 12 but credits her fellow staff members who are in university for getting her through the year.

"They were helping me mentally get through it so I wouldn't have been able to do it if I wasn't working here."

The Port Macquarie Campus graduate will be studying law at Macquarie University in 2025.

"I'm taking a gap year so I can save, travel, get a bit of life experience before I jump back into the books again," she said.

Hastings Secondary College had a number of high achievers this year with Audrey Greenhorn receiving a 97.55 ATAR and getting top band across four subjects.

She will be studying medicine at The University of Newcastle.

Fellow students Samuel Reniers received a 89.55 and Brodie Burgess received a 79.35.

St Columba Anglican School student Jed Kirkman is flying high with his end of year results.

Jed is the only student from Port Macquarie to make the 2023 HSC First in Course list coming equal first place in Mathematics Standard 2.

He received the call from the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) letting him know his achievement while he was on his work lunch break last Friday (December 8)

"I wasn't allowed to tell anyone besides immediate family," he said.

"[I was] not really [expecting it] to be honest but it was a pleasant surprise as you'd expect."

He and family travelled down to Sydney to attend the 2023 HSC First in Course ceremony on Wednesday, December 13.

Jed is just one of the 128 students from 89 schools to receive a Certificate for Excellence from Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car.

The award marks the end of a fantastic year for Jed who has been accepted into the Australian Defence Course Academy and will be joining the Air force as a pilot.

He's still undecided whether he'll study a Bachelor of Technology and Aeronautical Engineering, or a Science Degree with a Major in Physics or Business but the sky is the limit for Jed.

"Either way, I'm doing my passion which is flying," he said.

"I got my pilot's licence last year and I suppose that also helped with my maths."

Jed, who scored an 88.20 for his ATAR, said that having a goal helped him in Year 12.

"As long as you stay motivated, dedicated and have a reason why you're there and a reason why you're learning something...it makes it easier to learn," he said.

"You've just got to be dedicated, motivated and that stops people from burning out."

St Columba also had two students listed on the 2023 HSC all-round achievers list; Ban Rashdan and the school's Dux Georgia Standfield-Gates who received 99.55 ATAR.