Meriden’s Class of 2025 has once again demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in this year’s HSC. These performances reflect the students’ commitment to their studies and the unwavering support of their teachers and families.
The 2025 results affirm Meriden’s reputation as one of the leading schools in the state, with students excelling across a broad range of subjects. This year, 211 students completed the HSC with 53% of girls receiving an ATAR of 90 or more. The school is proud to celebrate 29 All-Round Achievers (students who receive the highest possible band for at least 10 units), as well as a significant 154 students who earned places on the Distinguished Achievers list (73% of the cohort).
The highest ATAR achieved by a Meriden student was 99.95 earned by Selina Wang, who also received first in the state for Music Extension and first in Music 2. Selina earned 100% in Mathematics Advanced and ranked fifth in the state for Chinese Continuers.
“I was a little surprised as I didn’t think I would do so well. I’d really like to thank my teachers who have given me such amazing support, as I could not have done it without them,” said Selina, “I would constantly ask them so many questions and they always took time to answer them, so this was central to my success.” She is set to study a Law and Computer Science Degree at UNSW. “It’s an odd combination, but it reflects my interests,” Selina explained.
Melody Chia and Olivia Choi both achieved ATARs of 99.9 and were thrilled with this result. Melody credits her small study group’s regular meetings for the motivation she needed to keep her going.
Meriden has always been strong in languages, so it is not surprising that other top achievers include Sally Zhang who came first in the state for Japanese Beginners and Elena Whitfield for ranking fifth in Spanish Beginners.
The 2025 Dux was previously announced as Melody Chia, who humbly insisted that there were so many others in her year who were deserving of the honour. Melody shared her strategy to her academic successes: “I just take it one step at a time. Sometimes you can get overwhelmed with so much going on, but I focus on one task at a time and then I can move to the next one and before you know it – it’s all done!”
In addressing the Class of 2025, Principal Mrs Lisa Brown congratulated the girls on these outstanding achievements but reminded the girls that their worth is far greater than any grade. In praying for them she encouraged the girls to “embrace the future with confidence, so they discover opportunities to grow, serve, and lead with integrity and compassion”.
