On Thursday 6 February we celebrated the success of our 2024 HSC students. We acknowledge the Distinguished Achievers for 2024 who received band 6 or E4 in one or more of their courses. They were:

We also celebrated Andrew Murphy’s achievement of attaining and ATAR of 99.2. Andrew addressed the school. His speech is attached below.

Good morning everyone. My name is Andrew, and apparently, I did something right last year because I’ve been invited back to give this speech. But seriously, being awarded dux is definitely an honour, and it represents years of hard work and focus, but also a reflection of the support I had from my teachers, friends, and family. 

First off, a huge thank you to my family. To my parents—thank you for the endless love, support, and reminding me to finish my assignments at least 17 times a day. And a special thanks to my older sister Sally, who deserves all the credit for helping me with assignments and letting me steal her notes since day one. Honestly, I’m probably here today because of her guidance. 

To my teachers Mr Bellhouse, Mr Ryan, Mr Dyson, Mr Hancock, Ms Brady, Mr Hiser, and every teacher who has taught me at Corpus—thank you for believing in me, for pushing me when I needed it, and all the extra hours you put in to help me succeed. Students: trust your teachers. They’re here to help you, even when it feels like they’re just piling on homework. Teachers want you to succeed. When they hit you with, ‘You’re going to need this for the HSC,’ trust me—you should probably listen.

If you haven’t listened to anything I've said, at least pay attention to this. This is my top advice on how you ‘lock in and become an academic weapon’.

1. Make the most of class time and study sessions. Be productive in the time you’re given—it saves you stress later.
2. Don’t pretend to study. Actually Study. Stay off your phone, no more Tetris, Wordle, or watching football highlights on YouTube. Trust me, Messi will still be the GOAT when you finish your homework. 
3. Eat before exams. This is really important. You don’t want to be sitting there thinking about a meat pie while trying to remember your English quotes. Also, food helps your brain run faster.
4. Actually complete assignments, homework, and assessments—and do them early. These aren’t just chores; they help you succeed in the long run. 
5. Find a routine and create study habits that work for you. Whether it's mind maps, active recall, or maybe just maybe 2 cans of redbull on a sunday night (just kidding… sort of).

It’s never too late to start. I can’t stress this enough. I saw this Chinese proverb on instagram reels that read, ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now’. Start studying, catch up on your content, and lock in.

Balance is key too. You can hit the books and still hit the dance floor. Or what my Dad says, ‘Party hard, but study harder’. Hang out with your friends, go to the gym, play sports, and have rest days. It’s all about balance, trust me. Just make sure you don’t “balance” a one thousand word essay at 11:59pm the night before its due. 

Now, I have to give a massive thank you to my friends. Honestly, you guys made school bearable and actually fun. From lunchtime football games to AirPlaying Blackjack on the classroom TV, there was never a dull moment. Special shoutout to my guys Riley Tobar and Andrew Dixon—we had every class together, and I couldn't have done it without you.

Before I wrap this up, I want to leave you with a bit of inspiration. I came across this Kanye West lyric: 'Reach for the stars, so if you fall, you land on a cloud’. Now, I’m not saying take all your life advice from Kanye, but he has a point. Dream big, put in the effort, and even if you don’t hit the target every time, you’ll still be better off than where you started.

So, enjoy high school. Make memories. Go out, have fun, but also chase the bag and work hard. Remember, it’s not too late to turn things around if you need to. Trust your teachers, trust yourself, and, most importantly, discipline yourself while finding a healthy balance.

Finally, remember that anything is possible. If the Lebron and the Cavs can come back from 3-1 down in the NBA finals, you can ace your exams. Thanks everyone, and good luck with whatever comes next.

Thank you.

Dr Aidan Johnson
Leader of Curriculum and Improvement