Cochlear implant recipient Ms Amelia Stevens has had great success in the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) achieving top marks including distinctions.
Stevens, who was diagnosed with a hearing impairment at an early age, received band 6 marks in all her HSC courses and the Distinguished Achiever award for each subject. Band 6 indicates the highest level of performance (90 to 100 marks).
She said her hearing loss meant that she often needed to put in extra effort to ensure that she kept up with her studies, and paid tribute to Hearing Australia and her itinerant hearing support (IST-H) teachers for their ‘incredible support’.
“My hearing impairment means that in order to get the same amount out of my classes as other students, I often have to go back over the content in my free time, ask more questions, and so forth,” she told the NSW Education Department.
“To achieve this, I have received the most incredible support from Hearing Australia, and my itinerant hearing support (IST-H) teachers across the 13 years of my schooling.”
She said her school’s student services team was also consistently amazing.
“I am so grateful for everyone who helped me along the way to ensure that in classes I was getting the same amount of education and learning my classmates were, without which I would have fallen behind and not have been able to do the extra work and effort at home that the HSC required,” she added.
Stevens said she wasn’t expecting such a result but it was extremely validating and confirmation that her hard work was all for something.
She attended Henry Kendall High School in Gosford and also received a certificate for academic excellence at her year 12 graduation in 2024.
Principal Mr Andrew Backhouse said the results were an impressive reflection of her dedication and hard work throughout her high school journey.
“The former school prefect’s natural leadership and passion for community involvement has left a lasting impact and has been an inspiration to both her peers and teachers,” he said.
“Amelia is frequently approached by younger students who look up to her for her kindness, compassion and humility. Her contributions extend beyond the classroom, as she has also been a long-term volunteer with St John’s Ambulance, demonstrating her commitment to helping others.”
Stevens plans to pursue her passion for writing and education, with plans to study communications (writing and publishing) and secondary education (English and society and culture) at the University of Technology, Sydney.
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