He studied at home and sat his exams in cinemas and sports grounds while travelling through checkpoints in search of a better life.

On Monday he woke up to some incredible news. With an ATAR of 96.65, he had become the dux of Australia's largest senior Catholic school – Catholic Regional College Sydenham.

His VCE success story began with a simple garden tool.

After joining Scouts with his brother Omar, he was offered work as a gardener at the Catholic school, and then a scholarship.

"It all started with a shovel," he said.

His studies were disrupted by sad news from his hometown of Homs. Many of his friends have been killed in the bloody Syrian conflict.

His family were lucky to escape Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. After his older brother was shot, arrested and tortured they fled to Beirut and then Cairo before arriving in Melbourne.

The 19-year-old hopes his VCE result helps him secure a place in either bio-medicine or medicine.

He wants to be a doctor so that he can give back to the Australian community.

"In Syria I witnessed so many people dying because there was no medical aid and no doctors to help. That was really heartbreaking to witness," he said. "It made me determined to be a doctor."

His father, a former sales manager for a pharmaceutical company, also works as a labourer at the Catholic school.