CANBERRA’S top college students for 2011 were recently recognised for their outstanding academic achievements with an Australian Student Prize.

The Federally funded national prizes are handed out every year to the top students in each State and Territory.

Kerry Olesen, who attended the Canberra College, was the only ACT public school student to be awarded the prize that included $2000 prize money.

Kerry, who scored an ATAR score of 99.9, is now at the ANU studying the four-year bachelor of advance computing, research and development.

He said although he’s still unsure of where he wants his degree to take him, he’s currently interested in the research aspect of programming and computing.

“Looking into different ways of doing things in artificial intelligence and machine learning kind of direction,” he said.

He said that although university was “tougher” than college, studying a subject he loves helps.

“Essentially, that’s why I am doing computing here, the assignments I am doing at the moment I’m enjoying, they just get done,” he said.

And his advice for students in their final year of college?

“Don’t be too stressed out by it all, aim high don’t be too worried if you don’t get as high as you hoped,” he said.

“I pushed myself at times and made sure I maintained the grades I was getting.”

Australian Student Prizes are also awarded to students who won medals as part of Australia’s team in the International Mathematics, Informatics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology Olympiads and International Baccalaureate Diploma Graduates who achieve the maximum international score of 45.

Criteria for the selection is set by State and Territory assessment.

[box]ACT prize winners

Caitlin Adams, Burgmann Anglican School; Georgia Behrens, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School; Margaret Brown, Radford College; Yas Eghtedari, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School; Edward Hirst, Daramalan College; Ned Lis-Clarke, Radford College; Nelson Mendonca, St Mary MacKillop College; Kerry Olesen, Canberra College; Tom Pearson, Burgmann Anglican School; Susanna Zhang, Canberra Girls Grammar School. [/box]

PHOTO: Australian Student Prize winner Kerry Olesen… “I pushed myself at times and made sure I maintained the grades I was getting.” Photo by Silas Brown