Ms ADDISON (Wendouree) (09:56): I wish to congratulate the current and former VCE students from schools in my electorate of Wendouree who have been honoured in the 2020 Premier’s VCE Awards. These awards acknowledge the academic excellence of the students during a year of great instability and uncertainty as a result of the COVID pandemic and remote learning.

I offer my congratulations to Loreto College Ballarat dux Sarah Harrington on achieving 99.95. In recognition she has received a top all-rounder VCE high achievers award, one of only 23 in the state.

I would like to recognise the following outstanding recipients on their study awards that recognise the best performers in the state in individual VCE subjects. I was very proud to learn that the following students from Ballarat Clarendon College, where I was a teacher for over a decade, received study awards: Ingrid Ellis, Monique Gellatly, Renae Loader, Soham Patel, Charlize Thanyasmith and Shogo Trevena.

Another Clarendon student, Hikari Tomota, was awarded the order of merit for international students studying in Victoria and was in the top three international students in the state. Well done also to Noah Esmonde from Ballarat Grammar for his study award for agricultural and horticultural studies.

These awards are a testament to the hard work, resilience and dedication of these outstanding students. I also want to acknowledge their incredible teachers as well as their families, friends and school communities, who have provided support to these students throughout their VCE.

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