As members of the class of 2024 wrap up their graduation festivities, three of Kyabram’s top achievers have even more reason to celebrate.
On Thursday, December 12 many recently graduated students sat at their computers anxiously awaiting a score that could impact their lives forever: their ATAR.
Among those students were a few diamonds, the top of their classes, who have been crowned duxes of 2024.
It was double delight for St Augustine’s College, with Sarah Whelan and Piper Badgery receiving the same ATAR of 84.6.
Neither girl could believe the coincidence when they found out they would be sharing the dux spotlight.
With a Year 12 cohort size of nearly 50, speculation grew throughout the day, with students trying to figure out who achieved the highest score.
When word got back to Piper that her ATAR may have not only been the same as Sarah’s, but also the highest, she was shocked.
Piper had been hoping for her score to be in the 90s, so when she woke up to her blaring alarm at 7am and checked her score, she fell right back to sleep.
“I was hoping I would have gotten higher … but then everyone else was saying that they didn’t get any higher than that, and I was like ‘Wait, what?’” Piper said.
Next year, Piper will see a different side of St Augustine’s College, taking up a position as a trainee education support officer in her own stomping ground before she moves into social work in 2026.
As for Sarah, the scene played out in her kitchen surrounded by her family and, once she saw her browser load and the number pop up, there was just one emotion that took over: relief.
“I hadn’t really thought about my score (before the day), but my body woke me up and that’s all I could think about,” she said.
“But after I saw my score, I was more just wondering what everyone else got.”
Next year, Sarah will study to become a chiropractor at the Australian Chiropractic College in Australia’s coffee capital, Melbourne.
But for now, she’d rather skip the caffeine and have a nice, long sleep-in to celebrate a successful year.
“I’m excited to go to uni to see what it’s like ... but I’m just taking things slow here and seeing friends,” Sarah said.
Down the road, at the same time, Ethan Carrington was sitting in the lounge of his home with his dad, finding out he had become the dux of Kyabram P-12 College with an ATAR of 87.45.
“I was a bit surprised because I didn’t think I’d get (the dux),” Ethan said.
He said he had been aiming for a higher ATAR, but he acheived what he needed to start walking down his chosen pathway — engineering.
He began his journey in engineering by completing the VET engineering program at school, in 2025 he will study a Bachelor of Science at Melbourne University with hopes of going into a Master of Mechanical Engineering.
“I’m looking forward to studying engineering and further improving in that field,” he said.
As for advice for future Year 12 students, each dux had their own slice of wisdom to share, but all shared one sentiment — enjoy yourself.
“Don’t take it too seriously — enjoy Year 12 for what it is,” Piper said.