On 23 April 2024, University donors, students and staff came together at Melbourne Connect to celebrate the expansive impact of scholarships on students’ lives and beyond.
Scholarship recipient Mahsa Nabizada said the University is a place she has been able to chase her dreams and ambitions, and she hopes other students like her can share that experience.
“I'm sure there are many talented students in Australia and around the world who could do amazing things, but just need that empowerment from a scholarship.”
Mahsa Nabizada speaking on the panel discussion at the scholarship celebration event.
On 23 April 2024, around 200 members of the University community came together at Melbourne Connect to celebrate the expansive impact of scholarships on students’ lives and beyond.
Among the those in attendance were University donors and student scholarship recipients who were eager to celebrate both donor generosity as well as student achievements.
Former Vice-Chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell, Provost Professor Nicola Phillips and Chancellor Jane Hansen spoke to attendees, recognising the transformative impact of scholarships to date and signalling an unprecedented focus on scholarship support into the future.
By 2030, the University will double its intake of talented domestic undergraduate students who come from underrepresented cohorts through the Narrm Scholarship Program.
Commencing the formalities of the evening, and in recognition of the Traditional Custodians of the land, Elder of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people Bill Nicholson Jr delivered a Welcome to Country.
He captivated the audience with his unique insights into Aboriginal culture in Narrm (Melbourne) alongside Ganga Giri who gave a powerful yidaki (didgeridoo) performance, bringing further gravity to Uncle Bill’s reflections.
Helping potential flourish
To truly demonstrate the importance of scholarship support, two University students and one alum who received lifechanging scholarship support shared their personal trials and triumphs throughout their educational journeys.
Bachelor of Veterinary Science alum Cam Raw said that completing his degree required “everything he had” and financial aid allowed him the time to be completely dedicated.
“Having moved up from Tassie there were financial pressures, and I was really able to focus on my studies because there were some very long days – seven lecture days sometimes,” he said.
“It really allowed me to focus fully on my studies and not have to worry about supporting myself.”
Cam Raw (left) and Sheriline Lay (right) speaking on the panel discussion at the scholarship celebration event.
Similarly, second year Bachelor of Science student and Hansen Scholarship recipient Mahsa Nabizada moved interstate from Queensland to study at the University.
“Moving from a town like Toowoomba can be daunting, and coming to a city like Melbourne puts questions in your head like ‘will I belong in a place like this?’” Mahsa said.
“Becoming a Hansen Scholar already gave me a confidence boost, but also pride that I have been chosen and selected.”
The panellists discussed how scholarships gave them the breathing room and confidence to explore unexpected paths at the University of Melbourne.
Third year Bachelor of Arts student Sheriline Lay was able to discover her true passion – teaching children.
“I came here to do the Juris Doctor degree in the future, but since taking some law classes, I realised it wasn't for me,” Sheriline said.
It was through tutoring some young children outside of her classes that Sheriline knew teaching was a path she wanted to pursue.
“Working with children was something that really made me feel that gut feeling. I really see the potential in children to be anything they want to be,” she shared.
During the final year of Cam’s degree, scholarship support enabled him to participate in an engagement program that provides vet services to underserved communities in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
Cam spent many years following graduation working abroad, but as a Palawa man, he said it was his connection to Country that drew him back to Australia.
He shared that he now leads that same engagement program that he once participated in, while holding the position of Assistant Dean (Indigenous) for the Faculty of Science.
“Our work embodies the One Health approach, which is really the interconnectedness between human health, animal health, and the environment,” said Cam.
“It's something that Indigenous people have been thinking about for tens of thousands of years, and it's a great opportunity for me to connect these really important ways of thinking into my teaching.”
The panellists then shared examples of how the scholarship support impacted their studies. Mahsa said that it has allowed her to explore internships throughout her first and second year of studies.
“I’ve worked in a program called Heywire at the ABC that gives young people the platform to share their stories who come from regional towns,” she said.
“Being able to produce their stories has been a great privilege, and I think that I've been able to do this because of the support and the confidence that the Hansen Scholarship has given me.”
Humble beginnings, grand ambitions
Professor Maskell also spoke to attendees at the event, beginning with sharing his own scholarship story.
“As a working-class boy from North London, I won a place to study science at the University of Cambridge,” said Professor Maskell.
Scholarship recipients chatting with former Vice-Chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell (front right) at the celebration event.
“Like many of you here tonight, I was the first in my family to go to university. With no fees and a means-tested stipend, I was able to immerse myself in university life and gained an education that opened opportunities that I could not have dreamt of as a child.”
Though substantial scholarship support has been on offer at the University for many years, Professor Maskell referenced the ever-growing need for support that levels the playing field for all talented students.
“Young people from challenging backgrounds across Victoria and Australia are extremely limited in their ability to access university education,” he said.
“This is not because they lack talent, but purely because they are limited by social and financial circumstance. It is for such people that a scholarship can change everything.”
At the end of the night’s formalities, attendees then had the opportunity to discuss their personal journeys through scholarship support – and students had the chance to say thank you to their supporters.
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