High achieving students recognised
Published Wednesday, 11 March, 2009 at 06:11 PM
Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
Ten outstanding Year 12 graduates were today awarded a TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and a university scholarship, worth up to $10,000, from the Queensland Government.
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said the medal winners had graduated from Year 12 last year from both state and non-state schools.
“The TJ Ryan Medals are awarded to students for achieving academic excellence and displaying exceptional leadership in their schools and communities,” Mr Welford said.
“The recipients will receive $2000 in scholarship payments for each year they complete of a degree course, to a maximum of five years.”
Minister Welford presented the winners with their medals and scholarships at a presentation ceremony at Parliament House today.
A further five students were highly commended and received $1000 prizes to assist them in their tertiary studies. Another 13 graduates received certificates of merit.
The medal is named in honour of Thomas Joseph Ryan, the Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919, who was widely recognised as an outstanding leader.
From 1927 to 1970, the Medal was awarded to the top student in the state’s annual scholarship examination. In 1993, it was reintroduced to continue the tradition of recognising academic excellence and student leadership.
Previous TJ Ryan medallists include Dr Robin Sullivan, former Queensland Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, and Emeritus Professor John de Jersey of the University of Queensland.
Every secondary school in Queensland is invited to nominate one student who displays excellent leadership and academic skills for the Medal. The recipients are selected with the help of the Queensland Studies Authority and representatives of both the state and non-state education sectors.
“The TJ Ryan Medal supports our Government’s Q2 goals of encouraging students to pursue further studies or training after leaving school,” Mr Welford said.
“It recognises a broad cross-section of students from city and regional centres and from state and non-state schools.”
A full list of the 2009 TJ Ryan Memorial Medal recipients, highly commended recipients and merit certificate recipients can be found below.
2009 TJ Ryan Memorial Medal Recipients
Joshua Chakravarty, Somerset College, Gold Coast
Kate Chambers, Ferny Grove State High School
Natasha Gorrie, All Saints Anglican School, Merrimac
Rohan Hughes, Proserpine State High School
Joy Liu, Somerville House, Brisbane
Michael Liu, Kirwan State High School
Rhys Parry, St Edmund’s College, Ipswich
Taylor Redwood, Sunshine Beach State High School
Kate Stevenson, Wavell State High School, Brisbane
Kathryn Zealand, Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Highly Commended Recipients
Jonathon Aspinall, Western Cape College, Weipa
Joshua Conroy, Marist College, Ashgrove
Jared Miles, St Mary’s College, Maryborough
Anna Puglisi, Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham
Clare Thiele, Indooroopilly State High School
Merit Certificate Recipients
Ethan Bowering, Canterbury College
Georgie Hicks, Southern Cross Catholic College, Scarborough
Sophie Hill, Kelvin Grove State College
Sophie Jest, Craigslea State High School
Nicole Just, Gladstone State High School
Kayley McCorley, Marist College, Emerald
Emma O’Shaughnessy, St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon
Jason Patty, Narangba Valley State High School
Ryan Pickels, Maroochydore State High School
Frances Potter, Spinifex State College, Mount Isa
Emily Pugin, Nerang State High School
Megan Ross, St Peter Claver College
Gary Yang, Good Counsel College
Media contact: Jo Crompton or Emma Clarey on 3237 1000
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said the medal winners had graduated from Year 12 last year from both state and non-state schools.
“The TJ Ryan Medals are awarded to students for achieving academic excellence and displaying exceptional leadership in their schools and communities,” Mr Welford said.
“The recipients will receive $2000 in scholarship payments for each year they complete of a degree course, to a maximum of five years.”
Minister Welford presented the winners with their medals and scholarships at a presentation ceremony at Parliament House today.
A further five students were highly commended and received $1000 prizes to assist them in their tertiary studies. Another 13 graduates received certificates of merit.
The medal is named in honour of Thomas Joseph Ryan, the Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919, who was widely recognised as an outstanding leader.
From 1927 to 1970, the Medal was awarded to the top student in the state’s annual scholarship examination. In 1993, it was reintroduced to continue the tradition of recognising academic excellence and student leadership.
Previous TJ Ryan medallists include Dr Robin Sullivan, former Queensland Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, and Emeritus Professor John de Jersey of the University of Queensland.
Every secondary school in Queensland is invited to nominate one student who displays excellent leadership and academic skills for the Medal. The recipients are selected with the help of the Queensland Studies Authority and representatives of both the state and non-state education sectors.
“The TJ Ryan Medal supports our Government’s Q2 goals of encouraging students to pursue further studies or training after leaving school,” Mr Welford said.
“It recognises a broad cross-section of students from city and regional centres and from state and non-state schools.”
A full list of the 2009 TJ Ryan Memorial Medal recipients, highly commended recipients and merit certificate recipients can be found below.
2009 TJ Ryan Memorial Medal Recipients
Joshua Chakravarty, Somerset College, Gold Coast
Kate Chambers, Ferny Grove State High School
Natasha Gorrie, All Saints Anglican School, Merrimac
Rohan Hughes, Proserpine State High School
Joy Liu, Somerville House, Brisbane
Michael Liu, Kirwan State High School
Rhys Parry, St Edmund’s College, Ipswich
Taylor Redwood, Sunshine Beach State High School
Kate Stevenson, Wavell State High School, Brisbane
Kathryn Zealand, Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Highly Commended Recipients
Jonathon Aspinall, Western Cape College, Weipa
Joshua Conroy, Marist College, Ashgrove
Jared Miles, St Mary’s College, Maryborough
Anna Puglisi, Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham
Clare Thiele, Indooroopilly State High School
Merit Certificate Recipients
Ethan Bowering, Canterbury College
Georgie Hicks, Southern Cross Catholic College, Scarborough
Sophie Hill, Kelvin Grove State College
Sophie Jest, Craigslea State High School
Nicole Just, Gladstone State High School
Kayley McCorley, Marist College, Emerald
Emma O’Shaughnessy, St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon
Jason Patty, Narangba Valley State High School
Ryan Pickels, Maroochydore State High School
Frances Potter, Spinifex State College, Mount Isa
Emily Pugin, Nerang State High School
Megan Ross, St Peter Claver College
Gary Yang, Good Counsel College
Media contact: Jo Crompton or Emma Clarey on 3237 1000