Of the more than 49,000 students who graduated with a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) in 2022, only 39 achieved the highest possible ATAR of 99.95. For the three Melbourne Grammar students who graduated with this extraordinary result, their focus on academic achievement was balanced with a desire to build strong connections with, and in support of, their fellow students.
Roddy Dong, Academic Head of School (Dux)
“I remember the exact date and time—19 October 2021 at around 8:15am—my Head of House offered me the position of Rusden House Captain. I realised then and there that being awarded this position was the School putting its trust in me. It was a vote of confidence, and I wanted to live up to that.
That was the first day of a brilliant memory of being in this role, and I’ll always be grateful for the privilege. I came to understand that I needed to be a friend first, and a Captain second. My main responsibility was to be there for the other students, to help them out and make them feel comfortable.
My best tip for achieving academic success is to have a system that works for you. For me, that was using a diary and spreadsheets to track how many hours I had available to study and planning according to that, making adjustments when necessary.
There’s a lot of emphasis on the final result in Year 12, but you have to keep yourself grounded, look at what’s in front of you, and handle one task at a time.”
In addition to serving as Rusden House Captain, Roddy received Community Service and House Colours in 2022. That year he also won School prizes in English, Maths, Latin and English Literature, along with a High Distinction with Excellence in the International Chemistry Olympiad.
Roddy is now enrolled in a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne.
Lachlan MacLennan, Proxime Accessit (Dux runner-up)
“I have so many great memories of Melbourne Grammar, but I did find the extracurricular camps were some of the best times. The 2018 Latin trip, when we went to Italy, was a fantastic way to explore Latin in the real world. It was also a chance to spend time with the people in my class in a totally different context. We learned a lot, but we also enjoyed ourselves.
‘If I had to put it down to one, I’d say my most inspirational teacher was Mr. Brown-Greaves, who was my Head of House in Year 9 and 10, and taught me Maths Methods in Year 11. I already loved Maths, but he took particular care of us and our individual concerns, whether we found something really challenging or just wanted to extend our knowledge. As a House teacher he was a great leader and he was someone able to be vulnerable with us, showing us what he was thinking and feeling.
What I learned, above all, is the importance of being a good friend. The academic side is important, but when I look back on my time here, I won’t be thinking about my complex numbers test score. I’ll be thinking about my friends and all the good times we had.”
Lachlan commenced at Melbourne Grammar in Year 4. He served as Hone House Vice-Captain and represented the School in hockey and other sports. He received the 2022 Chemistry Prize along with 2022 Colours for Service to the School, Hockey, Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.
Lachlan is currently studying for a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne.
Jiadong Li
“One of the activities I enjoyed most at Melbourne Grammar was teaching and tutoring. Through The Smith Family tutoring program, I was able to help other students from a less advantaged school academically, but I also had to make sure I explained ideas in a simple, accessible way. There’s a compassion element to it as well, and I think I’ll be able to take that with me while I am studying medicine.
In Year 12, I think it’s very important to take a step back a few times during the year and evaluate. Sometimes you can get myopic when thinking about your ATAR goal and neglect other things. I was lucky enough to have friends who helped keep me accountable and grounded. With lockdowns in Year 10 and 11, there was a really strong bond between us when we came back for Year 12, and with our teachers as well.
It’s a cliché, but it’s true: Year 12 is a marathon, not a sprint. You can’t just go all-out in the first couple of terms. You need to pace yourself and find something that will help you to de-stress.”
Jiadong achieved a perfect score in Units 3/4 Mathematical Methods during Year 11. He received the 2022 prize for English and the Foundation Prize for Assistant Editor of The Melburnian and has represented the School in table tennis, badminton, and other sports.
Jiadong is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at Monash University.
