Burdekin Catholic High School 2025 Valedictorian Cleo Delle Baite

By Chelsea Ravizza

Cleo Delle Baite has been congratulated as Burdekin Catholic High School’s (BCHS) 2025 Valedictorian and will soon commence studies at James Cook University to pursue a future career in medicine and surgery.

With an unadjusted Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 95.7 and an adjusted ATAR of 99.95, Cleo was beyond excited to learn she had earned the title of BCHS’ 2025 Valedictorian, noting her initial feelings of shock and immense pride.

“Graduating as Valedictorian was an amazing achievement for me,” Cleo enthused.

“It kind of caught me by surprise because my grade was filled with really high achievers, but to see all my hard work paying off really gave me a sense of accomplishment.”

Achieving such a feat is no small task, and Cleo credits her academic success to dedication and perseverance, emphasising the importance of discovering study techniques that work best for each individual.

“My study routine might seem a little crazy to some, but it worked for me during high school,” said Cleo.

Cleo’s day would begin at around 5am when she would head to the gym to fit in about an hour of exercise, followed by another hour of light studying before getting ready for the school day ahead. With a commute on her hands, Cleo used her time on the bus to her advantage, squeezing in an additional hour of study to complete any outstanding homework or assignment tasks, freeing up her afternoons for extracurricular activities.

Above all else, Cleo believes there’s one particular study technique that each and every student should endeavour to employ.

“Read. Always be reading,” advised Cleo.

“Whether it be specific to what you’re studying, or some fiction just for enjoyment, reading is something that really helped keep me regulated and allowed me to expand my vocabulary daily.”

Cleo has always had a passion for chemistry and thoroughly enjoyed studying the subject throughout high school, adding that she found particular interest in how neatly each of her subjects intertwined with one another.

“I really loved chemistry through high school; it was my absolute favourite subject, with mathematics pulling a close second as I really enjoyed the applications of chemistry and problem solving,” she recalled.

“Specialist mathematics was a challenging subject, as it was much more difficult than expected due to its overlap with physics. However, over time, I learnt to separate the formulas and techniques so that I could achieve the best marks possible in each subject.”

When asked what wise words of advice she would impart to current and future senior students, Cleo encouraged balance and urged every Year 12 student to find an enjoyable outlet to unwind.

“Whilst I do recommend reading, any hobby that you enjoy and cultivate will help with stress relief and improve other skills that you use in class daily,” explained Cleo.

“Depending on what subjects you are doing, Year 12 can be very difficult at times, so making sure you leave some time for the things you enjoy is absolutely important.”

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Cleo Delle Baite has been celebrated as Burdekin Catholic High School’s 2025 Valedictorian. Photo source: BCHS

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