Students across the Bega Valley received their HSC results this week, with some outstanding top marks locally.
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On Wednesday, Lumen Christi student Seraina Elia was named among the elite First in Course for placing top of NSW in Ancient History.
Her score of 98 in the course was just a preface for what was to come, with Friday morning bringing with it news of her ATAR of 98.45.
“I’m over the moon,” Seraina said on Friday.
She admitted to some disbelief earlier in the week when named the state’s best Anciant History student.
“I had to ask the woman five times were they sure they had the right person.
“I still don’t think it’s sunk in fully.
“It’s a small town so not really expected when you see all the top city schools with students getting the top grades.”
Lumen history teacher Rod Fish taught Seraina for a couple of years and remained a mentor after her focus changed to Ancient History with Tara Nicol.
Mr Fish said Seraina was “quite an exceptional student”.
“She is a very capable and very intelligent young woman – deeply engaged with her learning,” he said, adding that all of Lumen was proud of Seraina and her achievements.
Seraina said she has always had a love of ancient history, which began with a pop-up book on Pompeii when she was a child!
“A pop-up book with volcanoes, as a five-year-old that was a hit!
“It’s always been my thing.”
However, perhaps surprisingly given her success, Seraina is looking to a career in medicine.
“I really want to get into a Bachelor of Health Science at ANU,” she said.
“It’s a guaranteed pathway into post-grad medicine so fingers crossed.”
She admits some nerves as it will be mid-January before she finds out if she is accepted into the course.
“I’m dying a little bit on the inside waiting, it’s a bit scary.”
Meanwhile, Bega High’s Timothy Stoddard was a Top Achiever, placing eighth in the state for Engineering.
Timothy also made the Distinguished Achievers list, earning top band results in Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1 and Physics as well as Engineering.
This year saw a record number of students sit the HSC – 77,150 NSW students completed at least one HSC course and 68,816 students were awarded a HSC. This year there were 10,500 more HSC students than there were in 2007.