Three Mentone Grammar students who all studied VCE economics together last year have gone on to become some of the best performing students of the school’s year 12 cohort this year.

Naima Luthra, Alan Jiang and Jack O’Connor all received ATAR results above 99 this morning.

Naima said she was “stoked” with her results and would have been happy with any score had it been over 90.

Next year, she is going to the US to play college tennis at Saint Louis University in Missouri after playing at Victorian level in the under-18s during her year 12. She said she was proud of balancing her academic and sporting commitments.

“I think it actually sort of helped me, because I had to strike a balance. If you study all the time it just consumes you a bit. I was a bit more fresh when I sat down to study.”

Alan, whose subject selection included maths methods, specialist maths, chemistry and physics, said his results were mostly expected.

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“After all my exams, I ended up looking at the unofficial solutions online,” he said. “English was a surprise because it wasn’t a subject I could predict.”

Jack said it “bittersweet” to say goodbye to his peers before they tread their own paths next year.

Principal Andy Muller said he was extremely proud of the students’ performance, but acknowledged an education wasn’t just about results.

We talk about the importance of the life lessons that you learn, the involvement you have, where you learn all those really important life skills, they’re going to hold you in good stead for the years to come. Not just what academic result you got.”

“That’s what holds you in really good stead. And that’s why, regardless of what the ATAR is that you receive, you know that you will be a positive influence beyond school.”