A total of 37.5 per cent of students from the school achieved ATAR scores of above 75.
Principal Melissa Gould said the Class of 2022 would be remembered for its resilience, determination and commitment.
“They really are incredible humans and our community is proud of every one of you,” Mrs Gould said.
Rochester Secondary said there were a large number of students with outstanding scores this year, with top performers listed as Tanzin Myers, Olivia Stone, Fiona Dipasupil, Charlee Roulston and Chelsea Jones.
The top scorer for 2022 was Sam Ryan, announced as school Dux on Monday, December 12 with an impressive score of 95.85.
Sam said he was surprised with the result.
“I was definitely hoping for a good score, but I wasn’t expecting a 95, I’ll be honest,” he said.
Like many of his cohort, Sam travelled to Bendigo to do his exams, which he found a little disorienting.
“Going from a room with 20 people in it to do exams to a 400-seat hall was intimidating,” he said.
“Rocking up to exams and not knowing where to go was tricky.
“I planned to be there half an hour before the exam, but I got there and no one I knew was there, didn’t know where to go, and was freaking out a little bit. But I managed to find someone I knew and find the exam room.”
Sam plans on studying civil engineering at university, and is eagerly awaiting the first round of offers.
Mrs Gould acknowledged the hard work of the entire school community during such a difficult time.
“Each year we acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our staff who go above and beyond to support our students,” she said.
“This year we had extreme examples of staff going out of their way to meet up with students prior to the exams, we had tutoring sessions in Rushworth, Elmore, Lockington and Bendigo.
“Even though our school was devastated by the floods, our staff and students continued to find a way to work together to produce their best.”
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