High-achieving high school students celebrate their university study success

student awards 

A group of 20 students from Wyndham and St John Paul II Catholic Colleges have celebrated their university study achievements with a recent awards ceremony held at Western Sydney University's Blacktown Campus.

The ceremony marked the students' successful completion of a university course unit as part of a special program for the schools at the Nirimba Education Precinct.  Due to the program's excellent results the number of students involved has increased from 15 to 20 for the period 2015 to 2016.

The high achieving students excelled this year, achieving outstanding results of five high distinctions, twelve distinctions and three credits.  The students complete their units through Western Sydney University College, which has its main base at the precinct.

student awards 

As a result of their success, each student will receive a pre-HSC offer later this year into a Western Sydney University course for which they are eligible. The higher-level results provide students with a wider choice of course options.

The program offers those students who received distinctions or high distinctions further rewards, including:

  • $500 study grant to help with their HSC year.
  • The offer of a conditional Academic Excellence Scholarship of $5,000 per year for up to four years of study at Western Sydney University.
  • Results in university units to be taken into account should students apply for entry into Western Sydney University in future years.

Anne McLean, Manager Schools Engagement, says the pre-HSC offers should take a bit of pressure off the students during what can be a stressful time.

"This opportunity is only open to the two schools at Nirimba, and year after year it highlights the talent and motivation of young achievers in the region," says Ms McLean.

"Our partner schools do a great job in selecting students for the program, and strongly support them by providing teacher mentors to assist them when studying their university unit.

"The results once again were very impressive and it's apparent that this group of students will go on to great things. We hope to see many of them studying with us next year," says Ms McLean.

The students who successfully completed a Western Sydney University unit are:

Mr Joshua Ahmad

Wyndham College

Introduction to Engineering Practice

Ms Tehreem Butt

Wyndham College

Economics

Mr Corey Dickson

Wyndham College

Introduction to Engineering Practice

Ms Chloe Galey

Wyndham College

Psychology and Health

Ms Kaitlyn Hockey

Wyndham College

Communication in Health

Ms Rajvir Kaur

Wyndham College

The Individual in Society

Ms Elisa Keyte

Wyndham College

Psychology and Health

Ms Alyssa Manalo

Wyndham College

Marketing Principles

Mr Jarod Rockall

Wyndham College

Marketing Principles

Ms Emma Smith

Wyndham College

The Individual in Society

Ms Maddison Smith

Wyndham College

Introduction to Human Biology

Ms Alexandra Taylor

Wyndham College

Introduction to Human Biology

Ms Emily Western

Wyndham College

Introduction to Human Biology

Ms Amelia Zahra

Wyndham College

Communication in Health

Ms Demara Bowles

St John Paul II

Psychology and Health

Ms Kathleen Butler

St John Paul II

Psychology and Health

Ms Olivia Cochrane

St John Paul II

Communication in Health

Ms Hollie Gibson

St John Paul II

Communication in Health

Ms Sheng Liang

St John Paul II

Marketing Principles

Ms Rebecca Pearce

St John Paul II

Psychology and Health

The Nirimba Precinct partnership is part of Western Sydney University's Schools Engagement Program that provides primary and high school students with opportunities to not only improve their academic performance, but also expand their horizons.

To find out more about the University's Schools Engagement programs visit: http://www.uws.edu.au/schoolsengagement

Ends

27 June 2016

Tanya Patterson - Media Officer