Greek Australian students featured prominently among Western Australia’s highest-achieving secondary school students honoured at the 2025 Beazley Medal ceremony, held at the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia.
The annual awards, administered by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), recognised 3,771 students who collectively received 4,152 awards across academic and vocational pathways, including Subject Certificates of Excellence, Certificates of Distinction and Certificates of Merit.
Subject Certificates of Excellence and Exhibitions
Among the Greek-heritage students to receive Subject Certificates of Excellence were:
- Anaia Kakulas (Chemistry), Methodist Ladies’ College. Anaia placed in the top 10 students in Western Australia, earning a prestigious General Exhibition and achieving a perfect ATAR score of 99.95, a distinction shared by only 18 students statewide.
- Venetia Lazidis (Drama), Penrhos College
- Bianca Petsos (Economics), John XXIII College
- Karlynne Ballesteros (English), Sevenoaks Senior College
- Nick Varnavas (VET Tourism, Hospitality and Events), St Norbert College
Bianca Petsos was further recognised with a Subject Certificate of Excellence and Subject Exhibition in Religion and Life, placing her among the State’s top-performing students in the subject.
Certificates of Distinction
A strong Greek presence was also recorded among recipients of Certificates of Distinction, awarded to students achieving consistently high academic standards across their WACE studies. Those recognised were:
- Ellie Anastasas, Methodist Ladies’ College
- Ruby Bell, Presbyterian Ladies’ College
- Oliver Benetatos, All Saints’ College
- Mitchell Christianopoulos, Trinity College
- Iliana Diamandis, St Mark’s Anglican Community School
- Anaia Kakulas, Methodist Ladies’ College
- Irene Kontorinis, Shenton College
- Venetia Lazidis, Penrhos College
- Savannah Michailidis, Perth College
- Bianca Petsos, John XXIII College
- Felicity Psaltis, Presbyterian Ladies’ College
- Atticus Sarandopoulos, Hale School
- Keira Vaskas, Iona Presentation College
Certificates of Merit
Greek Australian students were also recognised with Certificates of Merit, acknowledging strong academic achievement across a range of schools and disciplines. Recipients included:
- Katarina Anastasakis, Santa Maria College
- Isabella Dongalis, All Saints’ College
- Vasiliki Garganis, Ursula Frayne Catholic College
- Sofia Gotsis, Santa Maria College
- Mercedes Grapsas, Methodist Ladies’ College
- Zoe Komninos, St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
- Alexia Kotis, Swan Christian College
- Zoe Liesis, Prendiville Catholic College
- Ioannis Iasonas Manousos, St Andrew’s Grammar
- Panagiotis Odysseas Manousos, St Andrew’s Grammar
- Claire Scafidas, St Mark’s Anglican Community School
- Darcy Stoitis, Carine Senior High School
- Kira Trevaskis, Bob Hawke College
- Evania Yiannakis, Mount Lawley Senior High School
Beazley Medal recipients and broader awards
The ceremony also honoured Western Australia’s top overall achievers, with Cohen Beveridge of Willetton Senior High School awarded the Beazley Medal: WACE, and Holly Hunter of Rossmoyne Senior High School receiving the Beazley Medal: VET.
Education Minister Sabine Winton, who attended the ceremony alongside Youth Minister Hannah Beazley, congratulated all award recipients.
“To be awarded a Beazley Medal is an outstanding achievement… I also want to extend my congratulations to each of the senior secondary school students who have achieved an exhibition or award,” she said.
Award recipients will be invited to attend the official SCSA Exhibitions and Awards Ceremony in February 2026.
For the Greek Australian community in Western Australia, the breadth of representation across subjects, schools and award categories reflects a continued commitment to academic excellence and educational achievement across generations.
*Please note: The above students are those The Greek Herald could identify by their Greek name. If you believe you should be in this article, please send an email to info@foreignlanguage.com.au.
