When Noelle Schollenberger left a gift in her Will to the University of Melbourne, she left a legacy of providing rich learning opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Noelle’s gift will be used to support a key priority of our University – scholarship support for talented students from across Australia who have experienced educational or financial disadvantage.
The University’s learning experience is grounded in its vibrant community, yet we know that many of the most promising undergraduate students may not feel encouraged to apply for the University or may struggle to reach their potential.
Many talented secondary school graduates do not accept their offers from the University due to the financial cost or lack of accessibility.
Additionally, we are missing out on excellent students from disadvantaged backgrounds who do not even consider applying – they may not feel like they are welcome at a highly ranked university or may not have seen themselves represented here.
When these students do enrol, they are often unable to take advantage of experiences that enable them to build valuable social connections and skills outside of their degrees through campus life – from sports to cultural events and community advocacy.
To develop a student cohort that is genuinely diverse and resilient, we need to provide robust support to underrepresented students in applying for, enrolling in and succeeding at the University of Melbourne.
And through the support of generous donors like Noelle, we are growing our capacity to offer support to students experiencing financial disadvantage, those from remote and regional areas and First Nations students.
Dean received transformative support
Dean was always passionate about politics, with a particular interest in human rights and international and immigration law.
The son of Romanian immigrants, he was the second in his family to attend university after his sister, who enrolled in a Bachelor of Science then a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne.
“If I hadn’t received a scholarship, it would have been really hard for me to study at the University of Melbourne,” said Dean.
Dean (left) with a classmate.
“I had to relocate from Wangaratta, and thankfully, I received a scholarship for a residential college. It would have been quite hard for my family to support me financially while I was studying; I would have had to live off campus and work more hours to support myself.”
When Dean enrolled at the University of Melbourne, he was immediately struck by the learning culture – something he was glad to be able to engage with fully through scholarship support.
“I went to a small, rural Catholic high school, and it was a good school, but the difference at university is that everyone is there because they want to be there,” shared Dean.
“They are working hard to become the best version of themselves, so they can go out into the world and make a difference. With the scholarship, I could limit my work commitments, really focus on my studies and build connections with other students and my teachers.”
Dean said he is inspired by his studies and the progressive perspectives he is exposed to in his classes.
“We are strongly encouraged to challenge everything we learn, for example in criminology, we’re asked to interrogate the colonial assumptions embedded in the law,” explained Dean.
At present, Dean is living in Munich on an exchange year where he is studying Law entirely in German.
“I learnt German in high school then as part of my arts degree,” said Dean.
“It was pretty intense, at first, studying everything in German, including writing essays! But it’s been an amazing experience, and so eye-opening to see what’s happening in the world from the European perspective.”
Having gained so many rich learning and development opportunities throughout his time at the University of Melbourne, Dean is thankful for the transformative support of donors like Noelle.
“I am so grateful to have had this opportunity, and it just wouldn’t have been possible without the scholarships and financial support that I received,” said Dean.
“Challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and study overseas has been life-changing and has inspired me to push myself further.”
There are many more students like Dean who can overcome disadvantaged circumstances and greatly enhance their learning experience through scholarship support.
And thanks to the gift that Noelle left in her Will, more than 50 new students like Dean will receive support to study at the University of Melbourne in the coming years.
We are grateful for her generosity, and her vision for a more diverse and resilient student cohort at the University.
Learn more about how you can help more students succeed at the University of Melbourne.
Learn more about leaving a gift in your Will.