The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) hosted its annual High Achievers Awards to recognise the outstanding academic achievements of VCE students of Greek heritage, celebrating excellence, dedication and commitment to learning.

Held at the Greek Centre, over 100 attendees including students, families, educators, and members of the community joined together to acknowledge the achievements of the 2025 VCE cohort, whose The evening recognised students who attained high results across VCE subjects, including Modern Greek and Classical Greek, as well as exceptional performances in Unit 3 and 4 studies.

The evening was attended by Nina Taylor MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Education, and Maria Triantafyllou, Coordinator of Educational Affairs at the Greek Consulate in Victoria and GCM Board members.

The event was also attended by mayors of Greek heritage, including; Virginia Tachos, Mayor of the City of Brimbank; Jim Grivas, Mayor of Manningham City Council and Emily Dimitriadis, Mayor of Darebin.

Mr Papastergiadis thanked and presented a plaque to the guest Mayors acknowledging their own success and high achievement in their recent council election, and highlighted that Mayor Dimitriades was in fact a former High Achievement recipient herself.

The Mayor acknowledgment was followed by the presentation of Certificates and prizes. GCM Secretary A/Prof. Marinis Pirpiris, welcomed the gathering and reflected on the importance of education within the Greek migrant experience.

“For the first Greek migrants who came to Australia, education represented dignity, belonging and hope,” A/Prof. Pipiris said. “They saw it as the opportunity for their children to have a better life. Today, we are here celebrating your results as you begin the next chapter of your lifelong journey.”

“This is a beginning, not an end,” he added. “On behalf of the Board of the Greek Community of Melbourne, I congratulate you all on this remarkable milestone that you will always remember.”

Nina Taylor MP, representing the Hon Ben Carrol, Deputy Premier and Education Minister, congratulated the successful Class of 2025 and highlighted the breadth of educational pathways across Victoria.

“Across the state, a record 65,586 students will graduate with their VCE this year, an increase of 3,500 compared to last year,” Ms Taylor said. “The Class of 2025 also includes 9,777 students who earned the VCE Vocational Major, reflecting the many different pathways now available to young people.”

Ms Taylor also commended the Greek Community of Melbourne for recognising academic achievement.

“Bringing people together in unity, respect and shared pride, and honouring achievement, is perhaps more important than ever,” she said. “Tonight is about saluting academic excellence, and that is a fantastic outcome.”

GCM President Bill Papastergiadis OAM also congratulated the students and acknowledged the collective role of families, teachers and community in supporting their success.

“It’s a village that has raised all of us, and in particular the students we are celebrating tonight,” Mr Papastergiadis said. “Congratulations to every student on their achievements.”

Awards were presented to students who achieved outstanding VCE results, and all recipients were offered membership to the Greek Community of Melbourne, encouraging ongoing connection and participation in community life.

Students that achieved the highest study scores also received $150 prizes with Giorgios Pirpiris the dux of the 2025 cohort and who achieved an ATAR of 99.95, receiving a $500 prize.

The High Achievers Awards remain a cornerstone event for the Greek Community of Melbourne, celebrating academic excellence while reinforcing the value of education, culture and community for future generations.