By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
RAJA Noureddine has been so busy with his first year of university that he has barely had time to think.
But this week the Endeavour Hills student spared some time to reflect on the Premier’s Award he received for his outstanding performance in VCE last year. He was crowned a Top All-Round High Achiever.
The former Haileybury College pupil was presented with the award by Victorian Governor Alex Chernov at special ceremony last month at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with Education Minister Martin Dixon in attendance.
The Premier’s Awards recognise each year those students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the VCE.
“The Premiers Awards are separated into two types, majority of them are decided by subjects, with the top five students selected for each subject and the other type, which I won, is the all-round award and that’s decided by getting five (study) scores over 46,” Raja said.
With an ATAR score of 99.90, it is no surprise the high achieving Raja has thrown himself wholeheartedly into his endeavours at Melbourne University, where he is now enrolled and studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in politics and philosophy.
The 18-year-old relocated from his Endeavour Hills home to live on campus, from where through his studies he is developing a “broader perspective of the world”.
But Raja said he certainly hadn’t forgotten the influence of his parents and teachers to help him get to the point he was at today, and spoke first and foremost of their assistance when he talked about receiving the Premier’s Award.
“I was very pleased and very appreciative when I learned I’d received the award, it was nice to be able to give my parents and my teachers the recognition for all the things they did to help me out,” he said.
“I’m midway through my first semester of university, so last year isn’t on my mind that much, but I wanted to use the opportunity more so to recognise my parents.
“At the end of the day, certain kids get the advantage of getting the support of the people around them to take the pressure off.
“It lifts the pressure off a lot, but it also gives you motivation to work a little harder because you respect the people around you, you want to make them proud and it makes you work that little bit harder.”
