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C.A.S. HAWKER SCHOLARS 2008
Degree: Bachelor of Business in Farm Business Management In Residence: Marcus Oldham College Career Goal: To pursue a career in the Australian Agribusiness sector as a consultant and sustainable rural property development Wallace Dunsdon is from a rural property just outside of Cunnamulla in South West Queensland. He attended the school of distance education and local school for his primary education before going to the Toowoomba Preparatory School for year 7. His secondary education was completed at the Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) in Brisbane as a boarder. At Churchie, he was heavily involved in the school rowing program. He was a member of the Schools First VIII crew (2003 and 2004) and was boatshed vice captain in 2004. He was selected to represent Queensland in the 2003 and 2004 State Rowing Championships. Wallace is an able student who applies himself to his academic studies. He is self-motivated and an independent thinker. He was successful in a number of academic competitions including Mathematics, Chemistry and English. In 2004 he received the Technical Studies Subject Prize and the Ian Cameron Design Award. He represented Churchie in Rowing, Australian Rules Football, Rugby and Cricket, winning full and half colours in a number of these sports and was judged to be Rugby’s best and fairest in 2000 and most improved in 2003. He spent 2005 working on the family property during the worst drought on record. This was beneficial to his personal rural development and his family business would not have functioned without additional drought labor support. In 2006 Wallace entered his first year of tertiary education at Marcus Oldham College undertaking the Bachelor of Business Course in Farm Business Management. He was elected President of the first year Business Students for 2006 and was elected by the entire student body as Student President of the College for 2008. In 2007 as part of the Marcus Oldham curriculum, he worked for Suncorp as an Agribusiness Officer in the large NSW rural town of Wagga Wagga. His position involved working one-on-one with the Business Banking Manager in refinancing clients as well as looking after existing customers’ business needs. With his long-term goal to enter into rural business consultancy, this initial year in a large Agribusiness bank was the first step in his consultancy development. In the future Wallace plans to target the more marginal semi arid regions where rural consultancy is difficult to access, due to the lack of resources and technology. This will provide rural businesses the opportunity to accurately benchmark themselves against other commercial and rural businesses. He believes his current Marcus Oldham Business course, time working in the Agribusiness Bank and with other rural consultants, will develop a detailed knowledge base and prepare him well for his chosen career. Wallace also has a keen interest in sustainable rural property development, in particular with irrigation, cropping and animal production systems. He’s a keen sportsman and is involved in club rugby, social tennis and water skiing. Wallace is a highly organised young man who has a positive outlook on life and is well regarded by his peers. Wallace Dunsdon will make a difference in rural Australia.
Degree: Bachelor of Science & Engineering In Residence: Burgmann College Career Goal: To pursue a career researching solar panel innovation to make them efficient and affordable to better contribute to the challenges of climate change. Trent Grgich is an outstanding student. He achieved straight A-grades in year 12 at Hale School, Western Australia in the most demanding Science and Mathematics subjects and French and Literature. His breadth of achievement is impressive. His TER was 99.3. Trent has a great ambition, motivation, perseverance and a hunger for knowledge. He’s a thinker, independently minded and self disciplined. Trent’s mother emigrated from England. His father, at the age 18, with a small suitcase and eight dollars to his name, emigrated from Croatia. They met and married in Australia. Trent’s only sibling, brother Paul, was a Melbourne National Scholar and is completing a PhD in Geomatics and Science at the University of Melbourne. Trent has had a long-standing interest in future renewable energy sources. His year 10 and 11 physics research assignments were on how wind turbines and solar panels work and an investigation of nuclear fission and fusion. He was selected as one of 288 students from 2000 applicants across Australia for the National Youth Science Forum (NSYF) in January 2007. After hearing presentations on how solar panel efficiency is being improved and talking with a number of electrical engineers, he’s become fixated on his chosen career path in solar energy. In a country with such abundant sunlight, Trent believes it’s a logical and necessary development for Australia. Studying a Science and Engineering double degree at ANU will allow him to contribute to this important development. He is critical of the lack of Government funding for the research and development of renewable technologies. Trent intends to do what he can to encourage an increase in funding in the future. He is working on coordinating a petition with other students from the NYSF to this end. He was one of 29 students selected from the 288 students at NYSF in January 2007 to train as a potential staff member in Canberra in 2007. The aim of the 5-day training program was to advance leadership skills and prepare participants to run the 2008 Forum. Selection was based on leadership potential and other attributes. Trent is an avid debater. In 2007 he participated in the Western Australian Debating League in the Hale School team and was presented with Debating Symbols. He enjoys travel and the experiences it provides. He went to France on an exchange program in 2006 and enjoyed the immersion in a foreign and intriguing language, culture and way of life. He is a relatively fluent French speaker and would like to further advance his French language skills and cultural awareness in another French exchange while at university. France remains a place of interest with the emerging renewable energy market and the construction of the Tour Generali in Paris, which boasts 800m2 of solar panels and 18 axial wind turbines to help power it. Besides travel, Trent also enjoys mathematics, woodwork, reading and following the stock market.
Degree: Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor Asian Studies In Residence:Burgmann College Career Goal: To pursue a career in the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ashley Jenkins strives to achieve her best in everything she does. She graduated from the Penrith Selective High School in Sydney in 2006 with a UAI score of 91.6. She is an outstanding all rounder in both her studies and extra curricular activities. Ashley performed as a soloist at many school functions, including assemblies, presentation evenings and orientation days. She was a Music Leader in senior school and participated in debating in various competitions including the Blue Mountains Debating Competition and the Karl Cramp Cup. Through debating she has developed skills in problem solving and strengthened her strong leadership qualities. Ashley has been involved with netball for her local club for 10 years, as a player, umpire, umpire coach, committee member and administrator. Her charitable work includes involvement with Guide Dogs Australia, World Vision and the 40 Hour Famine. She is self-motivated and has held part time and more recently full time employment with Woolworths. She was promoted to Service Supervisor, giving her responsibility over 20 staff. She learned to deal with customers and management, and learnt many communication skills to deal with diverse groups. Since leaving school in 2006, Ashley has maintained full time employment with the Civil Contractors Federation as an Administration Assistant/Event Assistant. Her responsibilities have included event management related activities - coordinating corporate days, gala dinners, seating and entertainment. Ashley is a proud Australian and believes her Hawker Scholarship will allow her to study and as a result of her dedication to her goals, she will make a major contribution to Australian society. She believes through her course selection which includes Middle Eastern Studies, American Studies, South East and Central Asian Studies and her interest in Australian politics, Foreign Affairs and Defence, she will contribute to making this country and the world a safer and more prosperous place.
Degree: Bachelor of International Studies In Residence: St Mark’s College Career Goal: To work as an Australian diplomat or with an International Aid organisation Katherine is an outstanding individual and an exceptional student. She loves learning. She also believes everyone should make the best of every opportunity they are given and always look on the positive side of life. She enjoys a challenge and sets high standards for herself. Katherine grew up in Adelaide and attended East Marden Primary School, where she was identified as a Student of High Intellectual Potential. She was accepted into Glenunga International High School’s IGNITE Program and completed the International Baccalaureate in 2006 with a TER of 99.8. Life for Katherine is about getting the balance right. She has been an active member of Scouts Australia since 1998, working as a volunteer youth helper with her local Cub Pack, completing her Sailing and Rowing Charge Certificate and earlier this year she was presented with her Queen’s Scout Award. When you join scouts, you make a promise: On my honour, I promise to do my best to do my duty to my god, and to Australia, to help other people, and to live by the Scout Law. The Scout law focuses on personal characteristics, such as being trustworthy, loyal, friendly, considerate and respectful. All are characteristics of Hawker Scholars. She’s a member of the South Australian Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and National Youth Council (NYC) for Scouts Australia. Both groups provide a voice for youth. She’s an active member of SA YAC, making a contribution as Xtreem editor, even while she was in Hungary in 2007. Xtreem is a youth-run magazine that goes to all South Australian scout members. Music is another important part of Katherine’s life. She was a member of the Adelaide Youth Sinfonia (AdSI), a talented youth orchestra with connections to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, with three of her friends, she started a well-regarded and successful string quartet at Glenunga International High School. Katherine believes that if you commit to a team, especially one where the outcome is important to other members, you have a duty to do your best and not let them down through laziness and selfishness. She was recognized with the school Service Award in 2006, largely for her participation in the quartet, but also for her greater contribution to the music and broader school community during her time at Glenunga. In 2005 she was given the opportunity to visit Glenunga’s sister school in Thailand (Mahidol Witthayanusorn School in Bangkok) for three weeks. The poverty she saw influences the way she thinks today. Her short experience in Thailand helped ignite her interest in travel and international affairs and seriously altered the way she now views the world. An AFS Intercultural Program scholarship in 2007 allowed Katherine to go to Hungary for 11 months. This was another life-changing experience. Throughout the year, she lived with several families, attended school and learnt the language. AFS’s motto is “peace through understanding”. Katherine believes if we can meet and understand people from different backgrounds, we can accept and embrace cultural differences and avoid future wars, to create a peaceful world. Stereotypes can be extremely harmful, and often first-hand experience is needed to change them. She continues to support AFS as a volunteer and wants other people to have the opportunities she has experienced. She is multilingual, interested in international relations and the important role played by aid organizations. She is fascinated by how the world works, how a few people can changes the lives of many, and how we can create a more just, peaceful world. The world needs more people like Katherine. 
Mr Vithiyasagar Sritharan Degree: Bachelor of Economics / Laws In Residence: Burgmann College Career Goal: A career in the Federal Treasury and representing Australia as a delegate to the UN Vithiyasagar Sritharan is an exceptional young leader and has attained excellent academic results at Dubbo College in NSW. He possesses natural leadership skills and has demonstrated confidence, initiative and maturity in his role as School Captain in 2007. He was an active member of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and displayed genuine conviction for improving the quality of lives of students at the College. Vithiyasagar graduated in 2007 with a UAI of 97.9. His background and upbringing have helped him develop into a mature young adult thankful for the opportunities Australia has provided. He was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka in 1989 in the midst of an ongoing civil war which claimed the lives and livelihoods of thousands Sri Lankan civilians. In 1990 his parents migrated to Australia to give his older sister, brother and him better life opportunities. Australia is the ‘Lucky Country’ and Vithiyasagar believes he is living in the best country in the world. Dubbo is a country town in rural NSW with a population of 40,000 and the Sritharan family have called it home since 1990. Dubbo College is Dubbo’s only public secondary high school. The school gave Vithiyasagar a range of opportunities to excel not only academically, but also in leadership and community endeavours. In year 11, he was rewarded with an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award at the Dubbo College Annual Awards Presentation Night. He also received a Distinction Award in 2005 for the Australian Financial Literacy Assessment held by UNSW. His position as School Captain allowed him to develop strong leadership skills and to participate in the School Captains’ conference in Sydney in July 2007, plan, organise, chair and speak at a variety of school assemblies and functions, and represent Dubbo College at various community events including ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. It also allowed him to be a positive role model for younger students and heavily involved in the school and wider community. In 2006, as a member of the SRC, he was chosen as a delegate of the school to attend a Young Leaders Conference and also a Student Learning Conference in Sydney. His involvement in the school community and school leadership has been rewarded with The Australian Defence Force Academy School Leadership Award and Scholarship in 2006, the Free Masons’ Young Achiever Award and Scholarship in 2007, the Youth Recognition Award in Dubbo Youth Week 2007 and a nomination by Dubbo College for the Pride of Australia Medal for 2007 in the categories of Community Spirit and Role Model. He has always been heavily involved and interested in the wider Dubbo community. He has performed in Multicultural Festivals and also participated for several years in the Dubbo Eisteddfod in piano and public speaking. He has also been involved in the organisation of the Central West Sri Lankan Cricket Tournament in 2005. He plays tennis and soccer and is a passionate cricket fan, playing for the RSL Colts Cricket Club from 1996 to 2006. He’s very interested in Economics and Law. Both subjects are vital in the daily governance and functioning of a society. He believes Australians are privileged to live in a society governed by the rule of law, allowing us to be free and have our rights and responsibilities protected and enforced. He’s yet to decide on a definite career path however he’s sure whatever he chooses to do will be of benefit to the Australian community, especially in the area of income inequality issues and becoming a more egalitarian society. He’s inspired by a quote from Sir Winston Churchill “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” He is a young adult of the finest quality whose integrity, honesty and motivation places him in excellent stead for the future. Mr Samuel Stapleton Degree: Bachelor of Arts / Laws In Residence: Burgmann College Career Goal: A career in the Public Service as a UN Diplomat or a role in Australian politics Samuel Stapleton has earned a well-deserved reputation as a reliable, dependable and outstanding young Australian. Samuel was educated in the NSW public education system and graduated as College Vice-Captain from Dubbo College in 2007 with a UAI of 97.65. He’s a third generation member of the Dubbo community. His parents and grand parents taught him to be passionate about his local and Australian community. This instilled in him a great desire to help and serve his community and country. The values he believes in are empathy, resourcefulness, kindness, a strong work ethic, pride, fairness, and humility. In 2006 he was elected to the Dubbo College Senior Campus Student Representative Council, which involved organising student run assemblies, swimming and athletics carnival activities and charity days including Shave for a Cure, Jeans for Genes Day and Beyond Blue Day. Samuel was a member of the Astley Cup Committee in 2006, the oldest public school sporting competition in NSW. It involves a winter sporting competition between Dubbo High School (now Dubbo College Senior Campus), Orange and Bathurst High Schools. In 2006 he took a leading role in organising the Dubbo College Senior Campus Multicultural Week. This involved organising the School Assembly, which was attended by the Dubbo Multicultural Committee, the Mayor and other prominent members of the Dubbo Community. In 2006 he was elected a House Captain, attended the Young Leaders Convention in Sydney and undertook work experience with the Department of Public Prosecutions. In 2007, his role as College Vice-captain, provided him with the opportunity to take a greater leadership role within the school and Dubbo community. He also attended the Impact Student Leadership Conference in Bathurst, participated in Clean up Australia Day, Plant a Tree Day and fundraising for charitable organisations including Stuart House and the Smith Family. He has represented the College in successful cricket and lawn bowls teams. The cricket team was runner up in the NSW CHS Davidson Shield. In 2006 and 2007, he undertook a role on the Dubbo Multicultural Committee, assisting Festival activities and being the joint Master of Ceremonies of the Dubbo Multicultural Festival Dinner. He enjoys playing cricket, tennis, golf and lawn bowls. He is interested in politics and economics as well as national and international current affairs. Through studying Arts/Law he intends to gain a greater understanding of how the legal system functions and the values and ideals which it aims to protect in a democracy. Samuel believes the law is the foundation of a just and fair society in which all people are equal. The law is the centre of a democracy that upholds inalienable rights and freedoms while enforcing responsibilities for all its citizens through legal institutions and concepts such as a constitution, representative government, the separation of powers, the doctrine of natural justice and the rule of law. Because of what he has achieved and the promise of what he will do in the future, Samuel Stapleton is a deserving recipient of a C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship.
Degree: Bachelor of Arts / Law In Residence: Burgmann College Career Goal: To contribute to the Australian and International Society by working with aid organisation Oxfam or Ausaid or pursuing a career with a political focus. Vrinda Tiwari is a talented student, an accomplished sportswoman and an outstanding all-rounder with a strong social conscience. She was born in Bhopal, India and moved to Australia at the age of three. She received her primary education at Griffith North Public School in Griffith, NSW. In 2001 Vrinda received a full academic scholarship to attend Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney. During her time in the PLC boarding house she developed a strong rapport with people of all ages and backgrounds and was a member of both the Boarders’ Committee and the Boarders’ Charity Committee. The latter committee fundraised for various causes including World Vision and two preschools PLC runs in East Timor. In 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 she received a significant number of prizes for academic achievement at the annual PLC Speech Days. In 2007 she was School Vice-Captain and Chairperson of the Student Representative Council. Vrinda completed her HSC in 2007 with a UAI of 98.15. In 2007 she was selected to attend a conference for Women’s Leadership at the NSW State Parliament. During her time at PLC Vrinda participated in several academic and co-curricular activities that helped her to develop a range of leadership, teamwork and communication skills. These included the National Rowing Championships as a member of the PLC First VIII and the NSW State Rowing Championships. This demanding sport developed her ability to work within a team and demonstrated her capacity to extend both her mental and physical boundaries. As well as rowing, Vrinda represented PLC in swimming, cross-country, netball, soccer and tennis. When she finds time to go home to Griffith, she is a member of the Griffith Joggers’ Club and the Griffith Triathlon Association. In 2006 she successfully participated in state and national Model United Nations Assembly competitions. She is also an accomplished debater, part time journalist and budding short-film producer. She has worked in teams that have raised significant funds for the Guide Dog’s Association of Australia, the Breast Cancer Association, an orphanage and abused girls home in Sri Lanka and the Nari-Nari Aboriginal Community in Hay. In 2005 Vrinda won a Cultural Exchange Scholarship to South Africa for two months. It changed her life. After witnessing millions in poverty, her growing social conscience forged her desire to pursue a career with a humanitarian focus. Considering her academic, sporting and leadership achievements, service to the community, and ambition to continue to contribute to Australian and international society, Vrinda is a most deserving recipient of a Hawker Scholarship. Mr Chris Warrick Degree: Bachelor of Business in Agricultural Management In Residence: Marcus Oldham College Career Goal: To pursue a career in Australian Agribusiness Chris Warrick is an inspirational and remarkable young Australian who faces and deals with challenges that would defeat most people. He completed his Certificate of Education at Horsham College in Victoria in 2003 and decided his future was in agriculture. After reading Charles Hawker’s autobiography he was inspired to apply for the scholarship as he can relate to some of C.A.S. Hawker’s personal qualities and experiences. Chris Warrick grew up on a modest family farm near Horsham in Victoria with his four siblings. When he’d completed his HSC, he applied to study at Marcus Oldham College. His intention was to travel, gain a broader knowledge of agriculture and get a sound education in the agricultural business sector. During his pre-entry practical experience year, Chris sustained a serious back injury working on a neighbour’s farm, which has left him unable to do manual labour - potentially devastating for someone committed to working in agriculture. After his injury, Chris spent much of his time and money on medical and recovery procedures which proved unsuccessful. In order to keep occupied and stimulated in life he stared a joint business with his father, manufacturing a grain silo level indicator. Given Chris’s physical limitations, the Wockaz Silo Levalert was born out of necessity, with Chris its first customer. He has subsequently been awarded a Victorian Work Safe Award in 2005, and Wimmera Business and Wimmera 2020 Agribusiness Awards in 2006. Since his back injury in 2004, Chris has been forced to change a lot about his lifestyle and learn to manage and overcome pain on a daily basis. After the initial disappointment, he believes the injury has given him more determination to make the most of life in general, and to take advantage of every opportunity. This Hawker Scholarship represents one of those opportunities. Receiving support and assistance from friends and professionals, his passion to help others has been strengthened to the point where he is no longer satisfied with self-achievement but strives to share his achievements with others. He has joined the local Wimmera Safety Group and makes a point of sharing his experience to increase awareness of workplace safety with young people on farms. He’s become re-involved in church life while living in Wagga, taking part in the organization of weekend activities for the young adults group. Since 2007, Chris has been working with the Western Australian based Kondinin Group, researching and helping farmers to share information. He has been given the opportunity to travel across the country gathering and sharing information with farmers to improve agriculture and provide support for big and small farmers, many affected by drought. Charles Hawker was a truly inspirational man who had a positive affect on so many people. Chris’s intention is to live a life which parallels the determination and spirit of C.A.S. Hawker.
Ms Eleni Watts Degree: Bachelor of Law Bachelor of Development Studies In Residence: St Mark’s College Career Goal: To work with an International organisation like the World Bank or the UN Eleni Watts is an exceptional student. Her achievements are many and at the highest level. She is a communicator and thinker. She will reach great heights and do many amazing things in her life. Here academic performance at Walford Anglican School for Girls in Adelaide is punctuated with outstanding results and numerous awards. Her TER on completion of her secondary studies in 2007 was 99.7. Her passion as a communicator emerged at an early age when she competed in the South Australian Junior Orator Competition in 2000 and 2001, winning the State Final in 2001. Her fascination with ideas and their communication has shaped both her curricular and extra-curricular choices and achievements throughout her education. Since 2002 she have been actively involved in the Tournament of Minds as both a team member and later a team facilitator. She was a member of the Walford Maths Engineering Team which won State Honours in 2005 and the Walford Social Sciences Team which won the State Title in 2002, 2003, and 2004. In addition, her Walford Social Sciences Team claimed the Australasian National Title in Perth in 2004. This experience gave her insight into the importance of teamwork, communication and abstract thinking in the process of problem solving. However it’s been debating in which she has excelled. She was actively involved in Walford’s interschool debating program for eight years, as both a team member and a coach. Eleni competed in four Grand Finals in the South Australian Schools Debating Competition. In recognition of this involvement she was selected as Captain of Debating at Walford and awarded with the school’s highest honour, a Walford ‘Blue’ for her commitment to debating. She was also chosen to represent South Australia at the National Schools Debating Championships as captain of the South Australian Schools Debating Team in 2006 and 2007. This experience fostered her interest in and deeply enhanced her understanding of Australian politics and society, and reinforced her beliefs about the importance of communication. In 2006, she was one of two members of the Walford team which won the South Australian United Nations Youth Association Boutros Ghali Shield. She received the award for the best speaker in that competition. She was a member of a successful Walford Mock Trials Team in 2006 and represented Walford as a Barrister in the Bond University High Schools Mooting Competition in 2007 and won an award for outstanding performance at a State Level. Eleni’s volunteer time includes work at the Mary Magdalene Centre in Adelaide; Resthaven Nursing Homes; MS Society Musical Theatre Fundraisers, the Bone Growth Foundation; the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life in 2005 and 2006; as well as raising money through a plethora of fundraisers for a variety of local charities and international organizations, including World Vision, Ryder Cheshire Foundation (India) and the Red Cross. She loves working with people, and community service has given her the opportunity to work directly with individuals in need as well as being a catalyst for change through financial and practical assistance. Eleni hopes that her studies have equipped her with the skills to formulate policies and programs that assist in achieving equity and justice in communities both in Australia and overseas. In looking at his life story, the two striking features of Charles Hawker’s character which Eleni admires are his resilience and his passion for ideas which he translated into powerful advocacy for those ideas. It was these things that drew her to express her interest in becoming a Charles Hawker Scholar. Ms Sue-Lin Wong Degree: Bachelor of Asian Studies / Law In Residence: Burgmann College Career Goal: International relations with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (while still calling Australia home) Sue-Lin Wong loves life. She is a natural leader and a proud Australian. She’s a remarkable young woman with endless potential and enormous talent and she’ll make a positive impression on whoever has the good fortune to make her acquaintance throughout her life. She completed the last two years of her secondary studies in 2006 at Sydney Girls High with a UAI of 98.6. She was elected as Senior Prefect at Sydney Girls High having only been at the school for 3 terms. In her gap year in 2007, she taught English in Hunan Province in southern China, explored the country to gained a better understand her heritage, learnt Chinese and discovered China, its people and culture. Although of Chinese heritage, Sue-Lin Wong was born and raised in Australia and until last year couldn’t speak Chinese. The complete immersion environment of the high school she attended in China forced her to rapidly learn Chinese so she could communicate with her classmates, roommates, teachers and friends. There were over 3000 Chinese students at the school so she had a lot of opportunities to practice the language. She was an active participant in school sport, playing netball and water polo and represented her school in knockout netball and water polo in 2005. She has always enjoyed sport because she thinks of it as a microcosm of life. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, it’s about your attitude and sportsmanship. She played trombone in the school Orchestra, Stage Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble since Year 7. She was promoted to First Trombone in 2004. She has also completed her AMEB 6th Grade piano. In 2006 she was awarded her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and was the District Finalist for Lions’ Youth of the Year. She loves debating and understanding ideas and policies that shape the foundations of our society. She was first speaker for her school’s Debating Firsts in 2006, in the NSW State Debating Squad elect and the school team won Eastside debating in 2005. She won the Eastern Suburbs Public Speaking Competition in 2005 and this inspired her to write a series of speeches for her HSC Extension 2 English - and scored 98%. In 2006 she was awarded the prestigious Sydney Girls’ High School Medal, recognising both her broad academic achievements and her diverse contribution to all facets of school life. Sue-Lin has also studied Latin since Year 8 and has won Gold Medals in the International Latin Exam for the past four years. In 2005 she achieved the Sydney Girls’ High Gold Award for Student Recognition recognizing her all-rounded achievements within the school. She won the Wellesley College (USA) Prize for outstanding academic achievement and leadership within the school and community, the P&C prize for First in English Extension and received a distinction average in Mind and Morality, a first year university subject. This encouraged her to apply for the Comparative Literature Distinction Course run by Charles Sturt University. She was awarded a High Distinction. It was her favourite HSC subject because it constantly encouraged her to explore ideas and concepts that were unusual yet interesting, to think outside the square and challenge everything she had previously assumed. Her volunteer work is also extensive. She coordinated the Red Cross “Take the Challenge”, a program to increase community service and awareness in schools. The highlight of this yearlong initiative was leading the Sydney Children’s Hospital’s Schools’ “Gold Week” which entailed organising two charity “great debates”, two talent quests, a “gold” barbeque and a mufti day. All these events raised over $125 000 and they won the 2006 Fundraising Award from the Red Cross. Sue-Lin was awarded the Professor Marie Bashir Prize for Citizenship in 2006. The prize is awarded to a Year 12 student who has displayed strong characteristics of good citizenship while at school. She has been a member of Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club (BSLSC) since she was ten. For the past 4 summers, she accumulated over 60 hours of community service every summer by patrolling Bondi Beach. She was Vice-captain of her patrol of 30 volunteers for the 2006/2007 season. She competed for Bondi and her team was the National Champion for the Open Women’s Rescue and Resuscitation (R&R) in 2006. Sue-Lin Wong’s motto is ‘the more you put into life, the more you get out of it.’
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Mr Wallace Dunsdon
Mr Trent Grgich
Ms Ashley Jenkins
Ms Katherine Radoslovich
Ms Vrinda Tiwari
