Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the most highly anticipated events in the year for students in my electorate of Higgins is the Higgins Medal award presentation. The Higgins Medal acknowledges and recognises the efforts of students who excel in their studies or extracurricular activities and those students who show strong leadership qualities amongst their peers. This year, because of COVID, we had to conduct it via Zoom. I was very pleased to award an impressive 50 students, from 28 schools, with their medal. These students and their families heard from guest speakers Sally Capp, who has recently been voted in again as Lord Mayor of Melbourne, and Angela Gao, who is a previous recipient of the Higgins Medal, from Lauriston Girls' School. Thank you to both Sally and Angela for their wonderful speeches. I know the 2020 Higgins Medal recipients were inspired by both of them.

I would like to take this opportunity to read out the names of the recipients: Isabel Larner and Max Stewart of Armadale Primary School; Lucas Regos of Camberwell South Primary School; Lola Karavesov and Peter Cornelius of Caulfield Grammar School's Malvern campus; Cian O'Flynn and Harry McGindle of De Le Salle College; Arnaud Ong and Sharannya Chakravorty of Glen Huntly Primary School; Hannah Waddell and Oliver Holbeach of Glen Iris Primary School; Eva Hunter from Hughesdale Primary School; Sienna Smith and Olivia de Rozario of Korowa Anglican Girls' School; Amalie Newbound of Lauriston Girls' School; Sophie Murchie and Oliver Abela from Malvern Central School; Sam Purnell and Chloe Groom from Malvern Primary School; Chantelle Amis and Laura Gosbell from Malvern Valley Primary School; Daisy Graham and Katharine Ye from Melbourne Girls Grammar; Lakshithaa Ravindran and Maleesha Dharmadasa from Murrumbeena Primary School; Connie Lekkas and Alexander Logan from Oakleigh Grammar; Lauren Connors and Amy Ryan from Sacre Coeur; Ashlee Quinn and Mia Basile from Sacred Heart Girls' College; Maya Rached and Molly Phillips from Solway Primary School; Diya Asthana and Sarah Marriott from St Catherine's School; Sophie Ronchi and Grace Wilmot from St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School; Alessandra Lane and Ashton Dcouto from St Joseph's Primary School; Ryan Cornelius from St Kevin's College; Joshua Hegan from St Mary's Primary School; Kiara Entera and Olivia Devasagayam of St Michael's Parish School; Kayley Campbell and Jack Conway from St Patrick's Primary School; Luella Cain and James Moylan from St Roch's Parish Primary School; Callum Schultz from the Currajong School; and, finally, Gia Dredge and Ziad Elzabri from Toorak Primary School. Well done again to all of you. You've made your schools and families proud. Given the unprecedented nature of 2020, receiving this medal this year is truly a fantastic achievement.