Maitland students named in prestigious NESA merit lists

Among the distinguished achievers list were 11 students from Maitland Grossmann High School, two from Maitland High School, two from Francis Greenway High School and one from Rutherford High School.

Olivia Greentree, from All Saints College, was named on the NESA all round achievers list, meaning she achieved the highest band possible in at least 10 units.

Ms Greentree was awarded an ATAR of 98.25, and is very excited and overwhelmed by the great news.

In other news:

"I shed a few tears when I saw it, but it's very much a relief that we're past this High School period now and we can finally move on and have lots of options for university," she said.

"I was so beyond excited, I definitely set my goals really high so I had my fingers crossed that my hard work would pay off."

Ms Greentree is hoping to study law and international relations at university, and is waiting for an offer which is expected to come out in a few days.

"Hopefully my marks will be good enough so I have some options," she said.

Ms Greentree said the experience of studying through the pandemic added on a lot of challenges to an already difficult year.

"The postponing of the HSC really took its toll on everyone in my year, but I think it will make us more resilient in the future," she said.

All Saints College had four students listed on the NESA merit list, with Olivia Greentree listed as an all rounder, and top achievers Sam Lynch (10^th in the state for engineering studies), Bridget Power (seventh in the state for visual arts), and Krystal Porteus (seventh in the state for construction).

Indiana Crimston, from Francis Greenway High School, was named a top achiever for her outstanding results in the retail services examination, meaning she achieved one of the top places for the course.

Ms Crimston said it's a great relief to know all her hard work was worth it.

"I was very excited, I didn't think it was going to be that high," she said.

Ms Crimston is currently working full time to gain experience, and will study a Bachelor of Business in 2023.

She said studying through the pandemic was challenging, but on the positive side she had extra time to study because of lockdown.

"They kept moving back our HSC and HSC trial dates which was a bit challenging," she said.

NSW Minister for Education, Sarah Mitchell, said this is a momentous day for school leavers, who have achieved outstanding results on par with previous years.

"The Class of 2021 should feel so proud of what they have achieved today, succeeding despite the challenges of a global pandemic," Ms Mitchell said.

"Everything our latest graduates have accomplished over the past two years will hold them in good stead for their next chapter, whether they are looking to go to university or start training or work."

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