2023 HSC & VCE High Achieving Scholars
The Harding Miller Education Foundation extends heartfelt congratulations to the entire Class of 2023 Harding Miller scholars for their outstanding results this year. We commend their hard work and resilience demonstrated throughout the year.
Special recognition goes to the scholars acknowledged on the 2023 New South Wales HSC honour list. Out of 55 Harding Miller scholars who sat their HSC this year, 20 scholars, accounting for 36%, have been named Distinguished Achievers. Distinguished Achievers are awarded to students who achieved results in the highest band for one or more courses. Our warmest congratulations go out to these scholars who earned a place on the 2023 list:
| Scholar Name | School | Subject |
| Aminah Elmasri | Wiley Park Girls High School | Legal Studies |
| Angelina Quach | Cabramatta High School | English Advanced Mathematics Advanced |
| Annada Suryantoko | Bankstown Girls High School | Visual Arts |
| Aurora Beale | Bellingen High School | Mathematics Standard 2 Music 1 Japanese Continuers |
| Belinda Ngo | Sydney Girls High School | English Extension 2 Mathematics Extension 1 Latin Extension |
| Brenda Chang | Fairvale High School | Visual Arts |
| Chantelle Bourne | Sydney Girls High School | English Advanced English Extension 1 Legal Studies |
| Cona Xu | North Sydney Girls High School | Chemistry Mathematics Extension 1 Mathematics Extension 2 |
| Crystal Jin | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Mathematics Extension 1 Mathematics Extension 2 Physics |
| Ellie-May Lang | Great Lakes College Senior Campus | Society And Culture |
| Gwenneth Rumbel | Dungog High School | Business Studies English Extension 1 Modern History |
| Janice Nguyen | Canley Vale High School | Business Studies English Advanced Mathematics Advanced Science Extension |
| Kelly Tran | Cabramatta High School | Economics English Advanced |
| Natalie Siev | Prairiewood High School | Legal Studies Society And Culture |
| Sapphire Truong | Canley Vale High School | English Advanced Personal Development Health And Physical Education |
| Sophie Condell | Prairiewood High School | English Extension 1 |
| Sumedha Deo | North Sydney Girls High School | Mathematics Extension 1 Mathematics Extension 2 |
| Nhi Tran | Penrith High School | Mathematics Advanced (Nhi is in Year 11 and sat her HSC maths exams a year early) |
In addition, Janice Nguyen has also been recognised as a Top Achiever for achieving one of the highest places in a course in the state and also achieved a result in the highest band. Congratulations to Janice for ranking third in the state in Business Studies.
We also want to take this moment to recognize the two Victorian scholars who have earned a place on the 2023 VCE Honour Roll. These two individuals are among the seven Harding Miller scholars in Victoria who completed their VCE this year. Students on the VCE Honour Roll are those who received a score of 40 or above and are in the top 9 per cent of a subject’s cohort. We congratulate Evalyn and Kelly for their remarkable results.
| Scholar Name | School | Subject |
| Evalyn Bui | Nossal High School | English Language Visual Communication Design |
| Kelly Yung | Nossal High School | Chemistry English Health and Human Development Mathematical Methods |
This accomplishment not only underscores the scholars’ commitment but also reflects the invaluable support and guidance provided by their families/carers, teachers, coaches, and public high schools during their academic journey. As these scholars transition into the next phase of their academic pursuits, we extend our best wishes. The foundation is honoured to have contributed to their educational journey and eagerly anticipates witnessing their ongoing success and contributions to society.
HMEF Scholar receives the 2024 Queensland Premier’s Anzac Prize
The Harding Miller Education Foundation is thrilled to share the news that one of our Queensland scholars, Sophie Robertson, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Premier’s Anzac Prize. Currently in Grade 10 at Ayr State High School, Sophie is one of the 8 Queensland high school students who received this fully funded prize and the first student from Burdekin to do so. The winners were announced in the Queensland Parliament by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the end of last month.
The Premier’s Anzac Prize is a highly enriching initiative tailored for young individuals passionate about history. Those who receive the prize will engage in activities that contribute to developing their understanding of the Anzac spirit and its contemporary significance, both in Australia and globally. As part of the program, Sophie will set off for Brisbane to participate in a two-day young historians workshop hosted by the State Library of Queensland in January next year. This workshop is a prelude to a 16-day tour through Belgium, France, and the UK, where she will explore important memorial sites from World War I and II. As a particular highlight of this tour, Sophie will represent the Queensland Department of Education during the Anzac Day dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Before the tour, Sophie will also engage in research on two Anzac veterans, whom she will deliver eulogies on during the European tour. In addition, Sophie will be fundraising for Mates4Mates, an organization supporting Australian veterans and their families who have sustained injuries due to their military service.
Sophie states that she is honoured to have this opportunity as learning about Australia’s military history has always been close to her heart.
Congratulations Sophie! We are proud of you and wish you a rewarding and enjoyable experience throughout the program.
HMEF Scholars awarded at the 2023 NSW Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence
The Harding Miller Education Foundation has proudly celebrated the achievement of three outstanding Year 12 scholarship recipients. The HMEF scholars, Khawlah Albaf, C-K Crosbie, and Kiara Risnes, each received the prestigious Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement. The award ceremony celebrated the 2023 NSW Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence which was held at the Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday, 5 September 2023.
The Award ceremony was hosted by the NSW Public Education Foundation on behalf of the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning the Hon Prue Car MP, and the Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, Mr Murat Dizdar PSM. The awards are held each year and acknowledge the outstanding achievements of schools, students, teachers, employees, and parents in the NSW public education sector. The Excellence in Student Achievement award received by the three Harding Miller scholars recognises outstanding Year 12 students who have excelled in their secondary years across academic excellence, sports, cultural, community and leadership. There are approximately 67,000 students in Year 12 in NSW this year and only 40 students across New South Wales received one of these awards. For three HMEF scholars to receive one of these prestigious awards is a fantastic achievement and is a testament to the success of the HMEF scholarship program in providing high potential girls an opportunity to reach their goals and be successful. Congratulations to Khawlah, C-K and Kiara!
Khawlah Albaf – Young High School
Khawlah Albaf displays an outstanding degree of character and values, which she consistently demonstrates through her daily actions, serving as an inspirational role model. Her exceptional leadership and teamwork skills are exemplified by her ability to collaborate within a team, while consistently attaining remarkable levels of success academically and as a school leader. Khawlah’s active involvement in state and federal youth leadership teams shows her dedication and commitment to making a positive impact in her community.
C-K Crosbie – St Johns Park High School
C-K Crosbie is an inspiring young woman who is motivated to succeed. She has demonstrated a love of learning and a commitment to achieve, both personally and academically. C-K is well respected and displays resilience, empathy and honesty. She has maintained an extremely high academic standard throughout her high school years and strives to achieve her goals. Held in high esteem by both her peers and teachers, she has fulfilled her role as School Captain with dignity. C-K possesses all the qualities of an exemplary student who is recognised for her motivation to overcome barriers and attain academic excellence.
Kiara Risnes – Leumeah High School
Kiara Risnes is an exceptional student who, in spite of her blindness, has always demonstrated positive engagement, an incredible work ethic, commitment and dedication to her academic pursuits. Kiara consistently achieves academic results at the top of her cohort and is excelling in Music 2. She aspires to attend university and pursue a career in music. She is recognised by her peers and teachers as an outstanding role model in our school and the broader community. Kiara is an exemplary representation of Leumeah High School and the values of public education. She is a most worthy recipient of the Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement.
We are proud of our three scholars’ achievements and we wish them all the best in what lies ahead.
2022 HSC – Distinguished Achievers
The Harding Miller Education Foundation would like to congratulate all our Class of 2022 scholars on their wonderful achievements in the HSC last year. We are very proud of the hard work and perseverance they have demonstrated throughout the year.
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the 18 scholars who have been awarded as Distinguished Achievers. Distinguished Achievers are those who achieved a result in the highest band (Band 6 or Band E4) for one or more courses. Warmest congratulations to the following scholars who were honoured on the 2022 list:
| Scholar Name | School | Subject |
| Grace Carter | Armidale Secondary College | Visual Arts |
| Amal Khan | Auburn Girls High School | Business Studies, Mathematics Extension 1 |
| Roba Goreishi | Auburn Girls High School | English Advanced Mathematics Extension 1 Modern History |
| Hadia Chaudhry | Bankstown Girls High School | Biology Business Studies English Extension 1 Legal Studies |
| Belinda Huor | Cabramatta High School | Mathematics Advanced |
| Bharathi Gotyal | Hurlstone Agricultural High School | Mathematics Advanced Society and Culture Japanese Continuers |
| Emily Ly | Hurlstone Agricultural High School | Biology Chemistry English Advanced Mathematics Extension 1 Mathematics Advanced Personal Development, Health and Physical Education |
| Laura Song Song Ho | Hurlstone Agricultural High School | Biology |
| Minjeong Gi | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Mathematics Advanced Japanese Continuers Japanese Extension |
| Lauren McDonald | Macintyre High School | Mathematics Standard 2 |
| Hayley Jacob-Harju | Nambucca Heads High School | Community and Family Studies |
| Sonja Stone | Nambucca Heads High School | Visual Arts |
| Samantha Buda | Penrith Academic Selective High School | English Extension 1 Legal Studies Personal Development, Health and Physical Education |
| Emily Eir | Prairiewood High School | Business Studies |
| Jessica Nguyen | Prairiewood High School | English Advanced Visual Arts Japanese Continuers Japanese Extension |
| Lily Nguyen | Prairiewood High School | English Advanced |
| Teresa Chen | Ryde Secondary College | English Advanced English Extension 1 Music 1 |
| Peony Zhao | Sydney Girls High School | English Advanced English Extension 1 |
We appreciate the endless support and guidance provided by the scholars’ families/carers, teachers, coaches and public high schools throughout their academic journey. We wish our scholars the best as they embark on their next journey.
2022 HSC – All-round and Top Achievers
The Harding Miller Education Foundation would like to congratulate all our Class of 2022 scholars on their wonderful achievements in the HSC last year. We are very proud of the hard work and perseverance they have demonstrated throughout the year.
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the two scholars who have been recognised as All-round Achievers. All-round Achievers are those who attained 90 or above (Band 6 or Band E4) in at least ten units of study. Warmest congratulations to the following scholars who were honoured on the 2022 list:
- Emily Ly – Hurlstone Agricultural High School, NSW
- Jessica Nguyen – Prairiewood High School, NSW
Emily and Jessica are among 1,413 NSW students who were recognised on the All-round Achievers list of HSC results last year.
In addition, Jessica has also been recognised as a Top Achiever in two subjects. Top Achievers are those who achieved one of the highest places in an HSC course or VET examination and also achieved a result in the highest band (Band 6 or Band E4). We congratulate Jessica for ranking fourth in Visual Arts and fifth in Japanese Extension in NSW.
We appreciate the endless support and guidance provided by the scholars’ families/carers, teachers, coaches and public high schools throughout their academic journey. We wish our scholars the best as they embark on their next journey.
Meet Sietara (Tara) Mahshar
Meet Sietara (Tara) Mahshar
Tara commenced with the Harding Miller Scholarship program in 2018 and graduated last year. She was a high achieving student at Chifley College, Dunheved Campus. This is a school in Western Sydney with a very low socio-economic background. Her parents had limited English as they came from war-torn Afghanistan. Adapting to Australian life was hard for the family, due to their limited English and trauma they had endured as they had experienced war, upheaval and resettlement in a foreign country.
Tara was an exemplary scholar throughout the four years of the scholarship. She ended up being School Captain and Dux of her School in 2021. Tara is currently studying at the University of New South Wales and doing a Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
Tara is an outstanding young women who is now mentoring students from her community. The scholarship has set Tara up for life and success.
In her words:
“I’m currently in my first year of a Bachelor of Laws/Philosophy, Politics and Economics at UNSW. Despite my degree, I have a deep connection to Education because of the HMEF scholarship. As a young woman who comes from an Afghan background, education is very dear to me and the HMEF scholarship solidified this. This scholarship has encouraged me to do great things. It has boosted my confidence which allowed me to become School Captain in Year 10 and then again in Year 12. It led me to many leadership awards and involvement in programs such as the Youth Parliament. Most importantly, it has encouraged me to use education as a way to give back to my community. I grew up in a community where students are disadvantaged. Education can really help children overcome these disadvantages and I can confidently say that, with the help of HMEF, I am an example of a student who has overcome these disadvantages and challenges in my path. Now, I work at a low-socio economic school as a COVID tutor, giving other children a chance to shine, just like HMEF helped me shine. I am hopeful that this degree will help me to continue this work in the future. I am very grateful to HMEF because without them, I would not have had the confidence to do the work I have done up until now.”
Year 9 photo
Tara now
We have shared Tara’s story because it was kind people like you that have changed her life through the Harding Miller Education Foundation. That is why we must continue to raise money to fund new scholarships so we can give high achieving girls like Tara the same opportunities. Will you help by donating now or sharing our story with colleagues, family and friends so we can continue to give worthy girls the same opportunity as Tara. We currently have 50 girls on our highly commended / waiting list for scholarships.
2021 HSC – DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVERS
The Harding Miller Education Foundation is very proud of the excellent results achieved by its HSC class of 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our scholars on their achievements. The past two years has been particularly difficult on a number of levels and our scholars worked very hard to rise above the challenges that faced them.
We would like to acknowledge the 27 scholars who have been recognised as Distinguished Achievers. Distinguished Achievers are those who achieved a mark of 90 or above in specific subjects. We congratulate the following scholars who were honoured on the 2021 list:
|
Scholar Name |
School |
Subject |
|
Angela Le |
Prairiewood High School |
Biology |
|
|
|
Business Studies |
|
|
|
Chemistry |
|
|
|
English Advanced |
|
Archanaa Thayanantharajah |
Penrith
High School |
Chemistry |
|
Atoc Malou |
St Marys Senior High School |
Legal Studies |
|
Bao Ngoc Le Dong |
Prairiewood
High School |
English Advanced |
|
Bonny Chung |
Prairiewood High School |
English Advanced |
|
Dominique Byrt |
Nambucca
Heads High School |
Music 1 |
|
|
Entertainment Industry Examination |
|
|
Ella-Rose Webber |
Smith’s Hill High School |
Mathematics
Extension 1 |
|
|
Software Design
& Development |
|
|
Eve Ella Leacey |
Mereweather
High School |
Music 2 |
|
|
Music Extension |
|
|
Hibba Chaudry |
Bankstown Girls
High School |
Biology |
|
|
Business Studies |
|
|
|
Chemistry |
|
|
|
Investigating
Science |
|
|
Isabella Ennever |
Casino High School |
Biology |
|
|
Investigating Science |
|
|
|
Mathematics Extension 1 |
|
|
|
Mathematics Advanced |
|
|
Jehan Khan |
Asquith Girls High School |
Legal Studies |
|
|
Visual Arts |
|
|
Jennifer Nguyen |
Westfields
Sports High School |
Mathematics Advanced |
|
Jessica Troung |
Cabramatta High School |
Food Technology |
|
|
Legal Studies |
|
|
|
Mathematics
Extension 1 |
|
|
|
Mathematics
Advanced |
|
|
|
Personal
Development, Health and Physical Education |
|
|
Kaitlin Nguyen |
Sefton
High School |
English Advanced |
|
|
Legal Studies |
|
|
|
Mathematics Advanced |
|
|
Lucy Bacon |
Kurri Kurri High School |
Earth and
Environmental Science |
|
|
English Advanced |
|
|
|
English Extension
1 |
|
|
|
Visual Arts |
|
|
Makayla Witte |
Coomealla
High School |
Food Technology |
|
Mariam Gorges |
Bonnyrigg High School |
Mathematics
Advanced |
|
Ngan Ling Chau |
Prairiewood
High School |
Legal Studies |
|
Nhi Lu |
Prairiewood High School |
Chemistry |
|
|
English Advanced |
|
|
|
Mathematics
Extension 1 |
|
|
|
Mathematics
Advanced |
|
|
|
Physics |
|
|
|
Visual Arts |
|
|
Noora Alothman |
Bonnyrigg
High School |
Biology |
|
|
Community and Family Studies |
|
|
|
English Advanced |
|
|
|
Personal Development, Health and Physical
Education |
|
|
Shikira Ngo |
Prairiewood High School |
English Advanced |
|
|
Legal Studies |
|
|
Sophia Bacon |
Kurri
Kurri High School |
Music 1 |
|
Steffi Tran |
Prairiewood High School |
Mathematics
Extension 1 |
|
|
Modern History |
|
|
|
History Extension |
|
|
|
Society and Culture |
|
|
Tahmina Rahimy |
Auburn
Girls High School |
English Advanced |
|
|
Society and Culture |
|
|
Taleah Anderson |
Lightning Ridge Central School |
Visual Arts |
|
Vi Nguyen Tieu |
Cabramatta
High School |
Mathematics Extension 1 |
|
|
Mathematics Extension 2 |
|
|
|
Personal Development, Health and Physical
Education |
|
|
Zelda Truong |
Canley Vale High School |
Mathematics
Advanced |
|
|
Personal
Development, Health and Physical Education |
The class of 2021 are a credit to their families/carers, dedicated teachers and the many public high schools that have guided them through their educational journeys.
2021 HSC – TOP ACHIEVERS 2021
The Harding Miller Education Foundation is very proud of the excellent results achieved by its HSC class of 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our scholars on their achievements. The past two years has been particularly difficult on a number of levels and our scholars worked very hard to rise above the plethora of challenges that faced them.
We would like to acknowledge the two scholars who have been recognised as Top Achievers. Top Achievers are those who achieved one of the highest places in an HSC course or VET examination and also achieved a result in the highest band (Band 6 or Band E4). We congratulate the following scholars who were honoured on the 2021 list:
- Angela Le Ranked 17th in NSW for English Advanced – Prairiewood High School
- Hibba Chaudhry Ranked 6th in NSW in Investigating Science – Bankstown Girls High School
The class of 2021 are a credit to their families/carers, dedicated teachers and the many public high schools that have guided them through their educational journeys.
2021 HSC – ALL ROUND ACHIEVERS
The Harding Miller Education Foundation is very proud of the excellent results achieved by its HSC class of 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our scholars on their achievements. The past two years has been particularly difficult on a number of levels and our scholars worked very hard to rise above the plethora of challenges that faced them.
We would like to acknowledge the two scholars who have been recognised as All Round Achievers. All Round Achievers are those who attained 90 or above (Band 6 or Band E4) in at least ten units of study. We congratulate the following scholars who were honoured on the 2021 list:
• Angela Le – Prairiewood High School
• Nhi Lu – Prairiewood High School
Angela and Nhi are among 1,476 NSW students who were recognised on the All Round Achievers list of HSC results this year.
The class of 2021 are a credit to their families/carers, dedicated teachers and the many public high schools that have guided them through their educational journeys.
Meet Isabella Ennever – Class of 2021 scholar
UPDATE JANUARY 2022:
HSC HONOUR ROLE 2021 – Congratulations to Isabella who is a Distinguished Achiever (achieved a mark of 90 or above) in Biology, Investigating Science, Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Advanced.
Isabella has just completed her HSC and was Vice Captain at Casino High School. She is an exceptional student and was placed first in all of her subjects and was dux of the year. Isabella has been awarded dux every year since Year 7. This year she also participated in Professor Henry Messel International Science School and the National Youth Science Forum.
Isabella is planning on being the first person in her family to attend university and has already received a conditional offer for Griffith University to study a Bachelor of Medical Science degree. In 2021, she participated in the Griffith University Future Leaders Retreat, received a Community Recognition Statement from the NSW Parliament for Academic and Leadership achievement, a Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement and was the Casino Lion’s Youth of the Year which recognises cultural, educational and leadership pursuits. In 2019, selected as 1 of only 16 students selected for a study tour on Lizard Island, She was the 2020 NSW Country to Canberra Award Winner, from Careers with Stem,
“The Harding Miller Scholarship has provided me with incredible financial support and security that has enabled me to better focus on my education and obtain a variety of academic goals. My success during high school, which was enhanced by the Harding Miller Scholarship and its role in reducing the financial pressure on my single-parent household, has given me the confidence and self-belief to follow a career in Aerospace Medicine. As well as the economic benefits, the laptop has allowed me to be efficient and organised with my schoolwork and has been a vital tool that has assisted me in excelling academically. For many years, the reliable data and the mobility of the laptop ensured that I was able to continue travelling around NSW and Queensland to compete in [sporting] events while not being disadvantaged with my education. Additionally, the Harding Miller Scholarship created many opportunities that has allowed me to overcome the physical barriers of living rurally and the low access to educational resources. Experiences such as the workshop with the Girls in Tech Movement has solidified my vision for a future in science and has broadened my perspective of science communication as a career pathway.”
Keep an eye out for Isabella in the future – we know she is destined for great things!
