By Alesha Capone
Westbourne Grammar School graduate Luke Tarola has received a prestigious academic award.
Mr Tarola, 19, is among 23 recipients of the Top All-Round VCE High Achiever Award, in the annual Premier’s VCE Awards for 2020, which were recently announced.
The All-Round award recognises students who achieve study scores of 46 or higher (out of 50) in at least five subjects.
Mr Tarola’s friend and fellow Westbourne student Divine Emezie also received a Top All-Round VCE High Achiever Award.
Another student at the school, Yonglian Cai, received a Top Three International Student Award.
Mr Tarola was Westbourne Grammar’s vice-captain last year, while Mr Emezie was school captain.
Mr Tarola said that his teachers, family and Mr Emezie were all “very supportive” last year.
For his Year 12 studies, Mr Tarola achieved the highest-possible ATAR score of 99.95, including perfect scores of 50 for Maths Methods, English and Chemistry.
“On the day the ATARs came out, that was a big shock, I wasn’t expecting that at all,” he said.
“The quality of teaching at Westbourne was great, the teachers were really great on Zoom, and if I had any questions they would set aside some one-on-one time for me.”
Mr Tarola is now studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne University.
He hopes to study medicine and become a doctor.
Mr Tarola, Mr Emezie and their friends have also started a tutoring business called Process Education.
As the COVID pandemic continues, Mr Tarola’s advice for students studying VCE is simple.
“My biggest piece of advice is for everyone to try their best, ”he said.
“Lockdown gave me plenty of time to study.
“It means missing out on other things and being socially deprived too, so why not make the most of it?”
