Calum Braham the first Catholic student to win state’s top academic award.
The greatest young mind in the state almost didn’t make it.
Trinity graduate, Calum Braham was awarded the Beazley Medal by Education Minister Dr Liz Constable at Kings Park today, taking out the top academic prize as the best all-round performing student in the state.
It’s a day his mother Kate couldn’t have imagined 16 years ago when her infant son was fighting for his life with severe abdominal abnormalities.
“He was operated on at 16 days of age,” Kate told The Record, saying that after he pulled through, she knew he would go on to achieve great things.
“Calum’s achievements are all the more impressive given that he is a year younger than most of his peers,” Dr Constable said, a result of Calum skipping Year 2.
“He has a very bright future ahead of him.”
Calum is the first Catholic school student to win the prestigious award.
He also received awards in physics, chemistry and mathematics as well as being the highest scoring student in six of his seven subjects at Trinity College.
Calum said his favourite subject in year 12 was specialist mathematics because the classroom atmosphere was “light-hearted”.
He has been offered a Fogarty scholarship to the University of Western Australia where he plans to major in mathematics and physics or economics.
Nicole Kerr, 17, of Woodvale Secondary College also received the Beazley Medal for her achievements in Vocational Education and Training.
Two Beazley Medals are awarded each year to the top ranking students in academic and vocational subjects.
Eligible students must complete two humanities or social science subjects and two mathematics, science or technology subjects.
with Robert Hiini