Cobram Secondary College principal Kimberley Tempest said Kiara worked hard and was a positive role model for others.
“Kiara has been a great role model throughout the year. Every day she greets us with a smile,” Mrs Tempest said.
“She's friendly, open and just a real delight to be around. Even when it was hard, even through those deep, dark study days, Kiara could always manage a smile.”
Kiara said she was “pleasantly surprised” when she found out she had been awarded college dux of the year.
“I was pretty happy. I felt like all my hard work had paid off,” she said.
Kiara hopes to move to Melbourne next year and attend Melbourne University.
“I really want to do a Bachelor of Arts, preferably majoring in history or politics or both, but I want to keep my options open,” she said.
Kiara’s advice for students starting their ATAR next year was to not put too much pressure on themselves and miss out on enjoying Year 12 and making memories.
“Looking back, I wasn’t really fretting about ATAR the whole year and studying every single night, putting myself under a ridiculous amount of pressure. I took time to go and enjoy, hang out with my friends and actually enjoy the classes I was taking,” she said.
“I think everyone should be really proud of what they’ve achieved this year.”
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