A world away from Melbourne, the three friends behind one of the most authoritative websites on Covid cases during the pandemic each awoke to news of another accolade: they have eached finished high school with Atars above 90.
Jack Graffeo, Wesley Mu and Darcy Hersbach sent the internet into a frenzy in 2021, when the Melbourne teenagers revealed they were behind CovidbaseAU – which had been regularly cited by mainstream media and praised by the then chief health officer.
Three years later, their Covid-tracking website has been archived, the lockdowns are behind us and the teens, now 18, have woken on Thursday to the news they’ve all been among the highest achievers in the VCE.
In Tokyo, where he is visiting, Hersbach started his day with the discovery his Atar was a near-perfect 99.45. Then came the text message from his principal: he is dux of Richmond high school.
“It’s still settling in,” he says. “It’s kind of anticlimactic, you’re so worried and then there it is. What now?
“I have to find some celebration-y things to do.”
At about the same time, in a hotel in China, Graffeo and Mu had awoken – both after a poor night’s sleep. But in the end, the stress wasn’t warranted: Graffeo had an Atar of 99.00, while Mu’s was 92.7.
“I was really shocked,” says Graffeo, who attended McKinnon secondary college with Mu. “I’m surprised it’s so high but I’m very proud of myself and very relieved.
“I put in 100% effort throughout the year, this is a reward for all the hard work.”
Graffeo faced no shortage of challenges during the VCE. In 2023, he underwent a spinal surgery that placed him in hospital for a week and in rehabilitation for much longer.
“To have been through that in the middle of my VCE journey and do as well as I’ve done, I’m very happy,” he says. “I’ve climbed a mountain, and it’s great to be on the other end.”
He emerged as the top student in his cohort for his favourite subject, Australian politics, which he completed online through Virtual School Victoria in year 11.
Mu says he’s relieved a “tortuous and arduous year” is finally over and he can soon do a double degree in engineering and physics.
“There’s been a lots of ups and downs [and] late nights building up to this score,” he says. “But it was worth it.”
He says he wouldn’t have been able to achieve such a result without the help and resources of teachers, parents and friends. “They helped me through tough times – and there were many.”
Still, Mu doesn’t plan to “stand idly by” post graduation.
“I want to read lots of books, be educated in the world,” he says. “I want to be at the forefront of technology.”
Hersbach, who achieved the highest Atar of the trio, studied an eclectic mix of subjects – media, English language, maths, physics, chemistry and Chinese.
He liked them all for different reasons, though English was the most difficult (“writing is hard”). But it was in extracurricular activities that he really thrived, running a music festival off his own bat and leading an orchestra.
Unsurprisingly, his future goals are high: a bachelor of science followed by a master’s of software engineering or robotics.
Hersbach’s cohort is just the second in history to graduate from Richmond high school, which officially opened its doors in 2018. Its principal, Andrea Thompson, says his journey is a “testament to excellence in government education”.
“Our motto is ‘make a difference in the world’,” she says. “We want to do that as educators – but also give students the skills to go out in the world. When students have great ideas, most of the time, the school says yes.”
Meanwhile, the McKinnon students have added to the school’s achievements. Last year, it was ranked 44th in Victoria for percentage of study scores of 40 or above, making it the No 1 non-selective public school in the state.
Its principal, Michael Kan, says this year’s cohort has done even better, with 63% of students achieving an Atar above 80 and 37% above 90.
“It’s just incredible and a testament to the kids,” he says. “But it’s also the feeling of connection and community.”
The assistant principal, Kellie Felmingham, is one 45 teachers who is also an ex-student and says: “There’s actual joy in what happens in each classroom.”
As for any future projects on the horizon for the trio of mates? Once they’re back in Australia, they’ll think about it.
In the words of Mu: “I’ll speak to you in three years.”
