Queensland recognises top Year 12 academic achievers

Queensland’s top performing Year 12 graduates from the class of 2015 today were recognised and rewarded for their exceptional academic achievement.

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) hosted the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) Achievement Awards at the State Library in Brisbane where 37 students from 27 different State, Catholic and Independent schools received awards in six categories.

Minister for Education Kate Jones presented Miaohan Long of Somerville House with a certificate, trophy, and cheque for $4000 as the overall Outstanding Academic Achiever.

“Miaohan’s outstanding results in Year 12 placed her ahead of more than 50,000 other students,” Ms Jones said.

“Miaohan achieved highly in all her Authority subjects and in university physics and maths courses undertaken while at school. She also did exceptionally well in the Queensland Core Skills Test and tertiary entrance ranking.

“From a young age Miaohan has wanted to be a theoretical physicist and I’m certain she will excel in her pursuit of that goal at the University of Melbourne.”

Ms Jones said all of the students who received a QCE Achievement Award were a credit to their school communities.

“In schools it’s important to have a benchmark of excellence,” she said.

“I recognise the hard work and dedication of teachers who supported these students to achieve their learning goals.

“We see students from state, Catholic and independent schools throughout Queensland represented in our top academic achievers for 2015.”

The QCE Achievement Awards were sponsored by Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, The University of Queensland and the University of Southern Queensland. 

Queensland Certificate of Education Achievement Award winners 

Outstanding Academic Achiever:

Miaohan Long, Somerville House

Highest Achievement by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Student:

Aidan Train, Spinifex State College, Mount Isa

Highest Result on the Queensland Core Skills Test:

Edward Burns, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace

Distinguished Academic Achievers:

Alexander Leathem, Ipswich Grammar School

Alexandra Radke, Mansfield State High School

Andy Wang, Brisbane Grammar School

Chinmay Sonawane, Brisbane State High School

Claire Qu, Somerville House

Corey Lehmann, Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Buderim

Eva Wang, Somerville House

Hamza Ashraf, Whitsunday Anglican School

Hayden Randall, Ipswich Grammar School

James Shaker, The Rockhampton Grammar School

Jamie Hile, Westside Christian College, Ipswich

Joshua Liaw, Tannum Sands State High School

Julika Goetz, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

Kieran Cook, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace

Lachlan Hill, Anglican Church Grammar School

Lachlan McKay, Pacific Lutheran College, Caloundra

Laura-Jane Jurss-Lewis, St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch Valley

Layanga Ranasinghe, Brisbane State High School

Madeleine Hall, St Hilda’s School, Southport

Man Kit Lam, Bremer State High School

Miaohan Long, Somerville House

Michael Boyce, Kenmore State High School

Nitin Niranjan, All Saints Anglican School, Merrimac

Pierce Leahy, Toowoomba Grammar School

Rohan Olufson, St Augustine’s College, Cairns

Rory McFadden, Kenmore State High School

Shahmir Ali, Indooroopilly State High School

Shiye Su, Brisbane Girls Grammar School

William Snell, St Stephen’s Catholic College, Mareeba

Highest Achievement by an International Student:

Justin Choi, Benowa State High School

Highest Achievement in the International Baccalaureate:

Akshay Deshpande, Queensland Academies — Science, Mathematics & Technology Campus

Emily Sun, Queensland Academies — Science, Mathematics & Technology Campus

Emma Leong, Queensland Academies — Science, Mathematics & Technology Campus

James Grant, Queensland Academies — Science, Mathematics & Technology Campus

Matilda Stevenson, Queensland Academies — Science, Mathematics & Technology Campus

The award criteria and prizes can be viewed at: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/qce-awards.html

Media contacts:         Minister Jones' Office: 0408 998 940

                                  QCAA: James Lamb 0403 058 551 or james.lamb@qcaa.qld.edu.au