After receiving their final subject marks and Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranks (ATAR) earlier this morning, the class of 2021 Year 12 students at St Clare's High School are feeling "relieved, happy and proud."
WenYuan LimSchneider is Dux of Taree's St Clare's High School, with an ATAR of 99.25.
WenYuan said he was really surprised, but extremely happy.
"I had to read the text message twice when I saw my results. I thought 'is this correct?'," he laughed.
Although it was a very challenging few years, we had great teachers and a lot of support around us.
- WenYuan LimSchneider, St Clare's High School Dux student
"Although it was a very challenging few years, we had great teachers and a lot of support around us."
WenYuan will move to Sydney in the coming weeks to study a Bachelor of Engineering and Advanced Science at the University of NSW. He plans to move into on-campus accommodation.
Patrick Guthridge received a 95.90 ATAR.
Read more: Taree's St Clare's High School major awards
Patrick was at the National Youth Science Forum camp as a student staff member when the Times visited the school, however he jumped on the phone to tell us that he was very happy with his results.
"I woke up at 1am to check my results, then 2am, then 3am, and every hour after that.
"It got to 5:59am and I realised they had just come through. I was very happy with the results."
Patrick will commence study in the coming weeks at the Australian National University in Canberra with a Bachelor of Research Development and Science.
Nathan Smith received a 94.50 ATAR.
Nathan is moving to Sydney's Northern Beaches early next month to live with family while he studies a Bachelor of Mechanical Aerospace Engineering at the University of NSW.
Nathan said disruptions became the "norm" over the past couple of years. "We were all just used to the constant disruptions, but it definitely feels good to see the final results."
Finlay O'Connell received a 87.7 ATAR.
Finlay received a 95 (band six) in Japanese Continuers. She says she was expecting more but considering the disruptive two years she has faced, that she is very happy.
Finlay is moving to the United States in August to study a Bachelor of Arts at Minerva University in San Francisco.
As part of the degree, Finlay said she gets to move every semester to a different country including Germany, England, India, South Korea.
She hopes to be a politician one day.
I woke up at 1am to check my results, then 2am, then 3am, and every hour after that.
- Patrick Guthridge, St Clare's High School's top HSC achiever
Morgan Gao received a 77.10 ATAR and was nominated for OnStage.
Morgan will perform seven shows across five days in Sydney early February which will be streamed across the State.
Morgan plans to study a Bachelor of Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at either the University of Technology in Sydney, or the University of Newcastle.
He hopes one day he will run his own business.
Morgan said isn't sure if drama is something that he will pursue in the future, but said he will look into joining a drama club at the university he choses.
Principal Peter Nicholls congratulated the students at the school on Thursday morning for getting through what has been "a very challenging two years."
"I am really proud of the students for getting through a testing two years where no one knew or could predict what would've happened one year to the next," Mr Nicholls said.
These results are those which the school is aware of at the time of media release.
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