Collegiate Dinner to welcome Semester 2
The Collegiate Dinner and Awards Ceremony to celebrate the results of high-achieving students from Semester 1, 2026 was held on Monday 3 August. Special guests joining students and staff at the Collegiate Dinner included the Head of South Australian Catholic Schools Commision, Mr John Neate, SA Director of Catholic Education SA, Dr Neil McGoran, Port Pirie Diocesan Director, Ms Nichii Mardon, Badge Construction Group representatives Jay Johnson, Andrew Sarunic and Zac Guy ( Aquinian 2012-2014), Aquinas College Councillors, Chair of Council Ms Joanne Sawyer, Deputy Chair Ms. Kate Critchley and Council members, Mr John Favretto, Mr. Vincent Kain and Mr Damien Judd. At this Dinner we acknowledge those students who attained outstanding results in Semester 2. All recipients of Distinctions and High Distinctions are named, stand up and are applauded for their efforts. This year we were very pleased with the high number of great results across many faculties.
Special awards were presented to students who received the highest results in Semester 1 2026, in each of the following disciplines:
- Creative Arts, Design, and Humanities-Annie Williams (Tenison Woods College, Mt Gambier)
- Allied Health- Macey Sanders (Ballarat Grammar) & Jessica Inglis (Loxton High School)
- Business & Commerce- Laurence Primarano (St Joseph’s College, Mildura)
- Education- Ava Norman (Grant High School, Mt Gambier)
- Engineering- Mitchell Court (St Mark’s College, Port Pirie)
- Law- Natalie Tabacco (St Joseph’s College, Mildura)
- Medicine & Veterinary Science- Maeve Bylsma (The Friends’ School, Hobart)
- Nursing- Chelsea Hawkins (Seymour College)
- Science- Lily Lawrence (St Joseph’s College, Mildura)
The two major Awards were awarded as follows:
The Father James McInerney Scholarship for the highest achieving first year student in the first semester was awarded to Mitchell Court.
The Kennedy Family Prize, donated by five former Aquinians of the extended Kennedy family and was awarded to the returning student who achieved the highest results in the first semester and was awarded to Chelsea Hawkins.
The Badge Constructions/Aquinas Scholarship, worth $5000, a brand new and now annual award at Aquinas, generously donated by the Badge Constructions Group, for an Aquinas student studying in the construction & building disciplines. The recipient of the award this year was Harry Mitchell (Tenison Woods College)