Former Newington HSC and IB students are flying high on their academic endeavours to Cambridge, Berkeley and beyond…  

Old Newingtonian Sebastian Wong says he never thought for a second he would come First in State in HSC Physics last year, but if the result helped win him a coveted place at The University of Cambridge in the UK to study Mathematics, then he’s happy. 

‘Yeah, coming first was a surprise but then Physics does include a lot of maths in Year 12, and I did Maths Extension 2 so that probably helped that result.’ 

Sebastian, who begins his studies in Mathematics at Cambridge in October, kindly returned to Stanmore on Tuesday to offer advice to the Class of 2026 about the prospect of international study as their HSC and IB final exams approach.  

Places for international students at Oxbridge, and Ivy League universities in the US, are fierce. Sebastian had several online interviews and was required to pass the notoriously difficult admission test, Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) and compete against other global talent for limited places. It will be his first time to the United Kingdom, and his degree will take four years.  

Ms Smriti Mediratta, Head of Science at Newington, who taught Sebastian Physics, is thrilled but not surprised he has achieved his dream to study at Cambridge. 

‘Sebastian exemplifies the qualities Newington seeks to foster in all our students, and the HSC allowed him to lean into his academic strengths and be expertly guided by his teachers here,’ Ms Mediratta says. 

‘His place at Cambridge, and his First in State result in HSC Physics last year are remarkable achievements and a reflection of his intellectual curiosity, discipline, and commitment to deep understanding. His success speaks not only to his academic ability, but to the habits of thinking and learning he has developed in Newington over time.’ 

Compatriots from the Class of 2025 are also embarking on exciting international trajectories. IB graduate Eamon Jia starts at University of California, Berkeley next month where he will also major in Mathematics. Eamon ranked in the top 25 nationally in the Australian Maths Olympiad Committee (AMOC) in 2025 and completed his IB with a near perfect 44/45. He received five offers from US universities, as well as two from Singapore and one from Hong Kong. 

Fellow classmate Alex Xu is studying Medicine at Sydney University after turning down a place at Duke University, North Carolina in the US while Felix Fordham accepted an offer to study at the University of British Columbia in Canada after receiving an offer from the University of Toronto too.  

2025 IB student Miro Kambalin is another following his dream – to work in space. Miro was awarded a prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship at The University of Sydney to begin his foray into the aerospace, defense, and research sector. Miro started at Newington in Year 11 after relocating from Russia with his family and completed the IB in English, his second language. 

Miss Cheryl Priest, Head of the IB at Newington, isn’t surprised Miro is on his desired path. 

‘Miro worked with great diligence to achieve his dream of studying Engineering with a focus on space, which will present him with opportunities and entry into space systems engineering, satellite design, advanced manufacturing, and launch vehicle systems development. 

‘Miro is highly curious and eager to explore and push the bounds of existing knowledge, so this scholarship will provide him with an outstanding opportunity to follow his passion.’ 

Did you know?

In 2025:

• 100 per cent of Mathematics Extension 2 students achieved a mark in the top two bands and 100 per cent of students in Latin Extension achieved a mark in the top two bands.
• 100 per cent of Music Extension and Music Extension 1 achieved a mark in the top two bands and 96 per cent of students who studied History Extension 1 achieved a mark in the top two bands.
• 100 per cent of English Extension 2 students at Newington achieved a mark in the top two bands and 95 per cent of English Extension 1 students achieved a mark in the top two bands.
• Three Newington HSC students achieved First in State in a subject including Physics.
• Four Newington HSC students ranked in the Top 10 in NSW in a subject.
• Nine Newington HSC students were named All-Round HSC Achievers, realising a result in the highest band possible (Band 6 or Band E4) in 10 or more units of study.
• 108 Newington HSC students were named on the HSC Distinguished Achievers List, realising a Band 6 or E4 in one or more subjects.
• 100 per cent of Newington HSC English Extension 2 and Newington HSC Mathematics Extension 2 students achieved a mark in the top two bands compared to NSW results of 88 per cent and 84 per cent.
• Four Newington International Baccalaureate students achieved a perfect score of 45/45 and another five achieved a near perfect score of 44/45.
• In 2025, 90 per cent of students from Newington’s Class of 2025 received an offer to continue their studies in tertiary education. 
• 10 per cent of these students are studying overseas or interstate. 
• The most popular university for Newington students from the 2025 cohort was Sydney University (The University of Sydney) followed by University of Technology (UTS) and University of NSW (UNSW). 
• The most popular university courses chosen were Law, Criminology, International Relations, Engineering, Business, Commerce and Management (Construction).