Hawker Scholarship

Degree: Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor Laws

Institution: Australian National University

Career Goal: To pursue a career in the United Nations, an NGO, foreign relations or diplomacy.

Stuart Bryson is an inspirational young achiever who always displays integrity and ingenuity. Stuart was School Captain at Penrith Selective High School in 2008 and achieved a UAI of 95.9.

Young people today are the leaders of tomorrow. Stuart believes the enthusiasm and idealism of young people should be utilized and their ideas heard. For much of his secondary education, he has been involved in giving youth a voice.

He was selected to represent Australia at the 40th Annual The Hague International Model United Nations, held in The Hague in 2008. He proposed a successful resolution in the Disarmament Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and had the opportunity with other Australian delegates to sit on a World Health Organisation Youth Policy Panel in Geneva.

The WHO used the group’s suggestions to help form a ‘youth policy’ on health, especially in developing countries and how it related to climate change. His experiences in Europe are fundamental in his determination to become an Australian ambassador or diplomat in the future.

Meeting with other young people from around the world in the model UN confirmed in his mind his career path. He believes Australia can play an integral part in negotiations and believes Australian diplomacy to be pragmatic and fair.

He has a demonstrated passion for international relations and Australia’s evolving place in the world. In January 2008 Stuart participated in the International Crisis Group in Brussels, Belgium.

He is an executive member of the United Nations Youth Association of NSW, an empowering organisation which enables young people to express their ideas. He plans to further engage young people in regional Australia through a bold education policy for the organisation. He believes young Australians are great visionaries and offer refreshingly practical ideas and solutions for pressing issues.

As Penrith Selective High School Captain and Student Leader in 2008, he developed a strong motivation to contribute to his school and community. He competed in the Premier’s Debating Challenge, reaching the State Semi-final on two occasions and was awarded Lions Club Western Sydney Youth of the Year in 2007.

In 2006 and 2007 he was awarded the “Most Promising Young Leader” Award at the National Rotary Club MUNA competitions. He has presented the keynote speaker address at a NSW level of the competition on topics such as “Youth Leadership – Empowerment” and “Australia as a Leader in the United Nations”. Stuart was also a state semi-finalist in the Sydney Morning Herald Public Speaking Competition for 2008 and a Regional winner in 2007.

As School Captain, he organised and convened the Penrith School’s Australia 2020 Youth Summit. The submission contributed to the final Federal Government Report. This involved coordinating workshops, information booklets and assembling results and compiling a 4000-word report.

Stuart is an all rounder. He was captain of the school cricket team and has played cricket at local and club level for nine years. As a volunteer youth reporter for the local Penrith Press newspaper in 2007, he did work experience and learnt about the power of communication. Stuart loves literature and reading. He has been a volunteer in the Norman Lindsay Festival of Children’s Literature since 2006 and has tutored young students in English and public speaking.

In 2008 he received the prestigious NSW Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement for his involvement in these activities. Stuart is a very passionate and motivated person.

His personal philosophy on life is that negotiation is never a waste of time because the alternative is far worse. Empathy is one of the most important and valuable traits in a person. He applies this to everything he does. To be able to listen and understand is a skill that all good leaders value. He believes that negotiation should never be overlooked as a means of producing a solution.

Career Goal: To pursue a career with the underprivileged that will allow him to provide them with the opportunities he enjoys in Australia.

Matthew grew up on a farm in North West NSW, near the small community of Warialda. His family raised him to appreciate the value of hard work, agriculture and the outdoors. He was educated at Warialda Public School and The Armidale School, achieving a UAI of 92.95.

He is passionate about being an Australian and believes this country to be the best in the world. In 2002 he boarded at The Armidale School where he was involved in a wide range of sports including rugby, soccer and basketball. His other extra curricula included debating and public speaking, cadets and community service. He was Deputy Senior Prefect and Vice Captain of Football in his final year.

In 2005 Matthew travelled to Calcutta on the first annual Pilgrimage of Hope, working with Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity and spent time with the “Poorest of the Poor”. He found the experience confronting. The people he met in the slums and the homes gave him more than he could ever give them and the experience helped shape the person he is today. The people who had nothing were the most generous and their ability to smile and laugh was an inspiration.

After returning from India he learned that the city of Sydney has one of the highest homeless per capita rates of any city in the world. Two of his mates and he decided to organise an excursion to work with less fortunate people in Sydney. The group worked with “Just Enough Faith”, an organisation started by ex restaurant entrepreneur, Jeff Gamblin, who has distributed over 400 hot meals in King’s Cross every night since 1993. This has since become an annual trip at TAS.

In November 2007 Matthew was awarded a gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and a Youth Service Award from the Order of Australia Association.

Matthew took a GAP year in 2008. He worked in an abattoir in Inverell, and then travelled to England to work as an abseiling instructor in a children’s camp using the skills and experience he’d gained as a training officer in the Australian Army Cadets; then to London to work in a “Walkabout” Australian bar. During this time he represented Australia playing rugby for the London Wallabies against London New Zealand. Matthew then worked for 8 months at Mill Hill School in North London as a GAP student coaching sport and helping out in various school departments. Before commencing his university studies, he worked as a stockman on Gunyerwarildi station in northern NSW.

Australia has some of the brightest minds and best universities. He is particularly interested in the area of renewable energy. Australia has ample space and natural resources, which makes it perfect to lead the world in the inevitable switch to “green” power; however, he learnt from his overseas travels is that Australia is currently lagging behind. This industry is guaranteed to boom in the near future, and Matthew wants to be a part of it.

One of Matthew’s real strengths lies in his enormous commitment to his fellow man. This commitment resulted in him receiving the Dr Kent Hughes Prize for Christian Service, the Armidale Freemason’s Prize for Excellence in Community Service, the Rotary Citizenship Prize and a certificate of Commendation for Community Service from the Order of Australia Association.

In addition to all of the above, Matthew has also successfully undertaken the gruelling Hawkesbury Canoe Forum, was a member of the Student Organising Committee for the Step to the Future Youth Forum, took part in the TAS Forensic Science camp and sang with the TAS Singers.

Matthew displayed leadership skills of the highest order. He received the BT Fenner Prize, served on the SRC, the Sports Council, the Colours Committee and was a Round Square representative.

Matthew is a warm, friendly and outgoing. He is modest and unassuming and enjoys excellent relationships with both peers and elders. He has initiative and a mind of his own and the ability to get things done, quietly and without fuss. Matthew Coulton is a fine upstanding young man with much to offer.

Career Goal: To pursue a career in the public service, the diplomatic corps or politics

Callum Deakin is a remarkable individual and an outstanding student. He was born in Adelaide, lived a good part of his life in other states of Australia, and more recently, in the Fiji Islands, where his parents reside. He lived with his grandfather in Adelaide during his secondary education. He won a position in the selective IGNITE Programme for gifted students at Glenunga International High School in 2005. As part of the programme, his learning was vertically accelerated and he finished years 8 to 12 in four years. He graduated in 2008 with five perfect scores and a TER of 99.95.

The school community elected Callum to the position of Head Prefect in term 3 of 2007 until term 2 in 2008. He undertook his responsibilities in an exceptional manner and his ability to balance his school involvement and a demanding academic workload was impressive.

During his tenure as Head Prefect he was responsible for communicating student concerns and ideas to the staff, facilitating whole school assemblies and representing the student voice on a number of high level school committees. He showed himself to be an excellent strategic thinker, an outstanding communicator and a very effective conduit between students, staff and school leaders. Callum communicated his thoughts clearly and succinctly as well as suggesting creative approaches to problems.

Callum believes his experiences living in Cairns, Darwin and Fiji gave him an understanding of the different needs of society and the challenges that face the modern world. He feels that living away from his parents helped to develop his resilience and added depth to his character.

There is much more to Callum than his outstanding academic achievements. He has been involved in a broad range of hobbies and interests. He represented Glenunga International High School in debating for three years. He also participated in activities such as the Tournament of Minds on two occasions, as well as representing the school at the State Secondary Schools Constitutional Convention in 2005. He also participated in orienteering, fencing and basic training as a netball umpire.

He was a cast member of the school musical The Word in 2007, and competed in Glenunga Idol, a singing/karaoke competition. One particular hobby has been clogging, which is a unique dance form originating in North America and similar to tap dancing.

He is passionate about his community service. He joined the Friends of the Dry Creek Trail, a group rehabilitating the Dry Creek in the Valley View area. He is interested in world events and keeps up to date on current happenings from around the world. Two issues he is particularly passionate about are education and human rights.

Callum participated in a school study tour to South Africa. The tour focussed on community service in local community within the Limpopo province of northeast South Africa. It involved teaching at local schools, fundraising and environmental rehabilitation work.

He was also involved in many service groups, including acting as a member of the executive committee of the school International Club and as President of the Leo Club, an offshoot of the Lions International for secondary school students.

Although Australia is an island, according to Callum we are not isolated. Australia is well respected by our Asian neighbours and by the international community. As a young Australian, he sees it as his specific responsibility to contribute to making the world a better place. This includes working with developing countries to begin initiatives for change and to act as partners in working towards a better world.

He intends that his tertiary education will contribute to Australia’s continued growth and development as part of the world’s global village by providing him with the skills and a knowledge base to work towards these aims.

Callum Deakin is by any measure and outstanding young Australian who will make a difference as result of whatever he chooses to do in his life.

Degree: Bachelor of Arts (International Relations)

Institution: Australian National University

Career Goal: To pursue a career in international relations and policy development.

Ms Laura Gartry is principled young woman with a passion for life and a commitment to social justice. She is an outstanding debater, academically gifted and an all rounder who graduated in 2008 from Mt St Michael’s College in Brisbane. During the past four years, she made outstanding contributions to the academic, sporting and cultural life of the College.

Laura is a creative and generous person who shows a concerned interest in current issues, forming perceptive and mature judgement that she articulates clearly, fluently and at times forcefully.

Laura believes she can make a difference in this world. Her passion is to help the disadvantaged of society and she has devoted the last two years to truly understand and comprehend these issues. She wants to help, develop and change the policies that directly and negatively affects Australians most in need. Through her extensive range of community work, she has spent time and volunteered with many different groups of people. The experience has made her more passionate about injustice in the world.

She’s a strong advocate for the empowerment of indigenous people, refugee women and others from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In 2007 Laura was selected as a regional Queensland representative to attend the Caritas Festival of Global Concern in Sydney. While there, she met and was inspired by Young Australian of Year Tania Major and human rights lawyer Julian Burnside.

After this conference, she returned to her College and initiated a Make Indigenous Poverty History forum and concert which was attended by six local schools and over 200 participants. The Close the Gap campaign was next. It collected over 600 signatures and included the sale of T-shirts and wristbands. She was invited to attend the Sorry Day events and NAIDOC week celebrations as a Close the Gap volunteer.

As the 2008 Mission Prefect, Laura coordinated the Mt St Michael’s College community action network overseeing four groups - Missions of Saint Vincent, Social Justice Council, Environment Group and the Rotary Interact Club. She assisted with many other awareness-raising ventures throughout the year such as Caritas Project Compassion, World Refugee Day, Make Poverty History, Clean up Australia Day, Close the Gap Campaign and an Easter Drought Appeal for rural families. The Easter Appeal raised cash and hundreds of donations of food, toiletries and toys.

She has always been very involved in her community. Laura has tutored Sudanese refugee children in reading and worked on Rosie’s homeless street retreat van.

Since 2006, she has regularly visited St Paul’s Villa, a local nursing home where she played her flute for residents and talked to some of the elderly people. She was a regular visitor to Ronald McDonald House, a home away from home for families of sick children receiving treatment in Brisbane. She face painted and read to children and their siblings. These experiences are a constant reminder to her to never take anything in her life for granted and to always think of people who are less fortunate or lonely.

In 2007 she received an Academic Achievement Award and a Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence. In 2008 she was awarded the College Best All-Rounder. In the same year she was the debating captain.The team reached the Queensland state finals rounds two years in a row and was undefeated in season in 2008. She has competed in cross-country, netball, touch football and volleyball. In 2008 she was the lead in the College’s production of “High School Musical”. She loves performance, music and dance and has been a classical ballet student since she was four years old.

Laura is an active member of the United Nations Youth Association and was the only Queensland student selected to attend the Australian Schools Delegation to The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUM) in Europe in January 2009. She was chosen to attend this conference as a Queensland representative from 130 students at the Australian United Nations Youth Conference in Hobart in July 2008.

Laura Gartry is a young woman on a mission and when she achieves her goals, the world will definitely be a better place.

Career Goal: To pursue a career as an officer in the Intelligence Corps of the Australian Army, Australian politics, the United Nations, an NGO, foreign relations or diplomacy.

William Jenkins was born at Katoomba NSW and was educated at the Katoomba and Hornsby primary schools, Southern Hills Middle and Fairview High Schools in Colorado USA. He graduated from the Glenunga International High School (GIHS) International Baccalaureate High School Diploma in Adelaide in 2007 with a TER of 99.8. He completed his first year of Arts and Economic degrees at ANU in 2008.

William is a well-traveled, multi lingual, motivated, passionate and patriotic Australian. In addition to English he speaks, to various levels of competency, French, Arabic, Persian, Latin, Welsh and Hindi/Urdu.

He now lives his life based in part on an old Kurdish saying If water stands motionless in a pool it grows stale and muddy, but when it moves and flows it becomes clear: so, too, man in his wanderings.

In his high school years this personal philosophy motivated him to contribute to his community in a meaningful way and pushed him to achieve academically. In August 2006 William was elected Co Head Prefect at Glenunga International High School (GIHS). He’d only been at the school for only 6 months. This election resulted from two things - his involvement in school activities and societies and a strongly communicated vision for what the GIHS Prefects could accomplish with ambitious and informed leadership.

One major achievement included organising a regional conference of student representatives of over 10,000 high school students in the Adelaide area to discuss common obstacles to effective student leadership. The group worked with the South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) to liaise with student leaders. He also actively participated in the Governing Council of GIHS and advocated for a number of significant improvements to student life.

In addition to his activity as Co Head Prefect, he was closely involved in a number of student societies including the Student Activist Alliance, the International Club, the Debating Society and the Student Council. William was also chosen to represent GIHS at a Future Leaders symposium at the University of Adelaide in 2007.

During his two years at GIHS he also became involved in the South Australian division of the United Nations Youth Association (UNYA). He first competed in the Boutros Boutros Ghali Shield debating competition in 2006 and won the competition in 2007. After gaining 1st place in the state competition, he and his partner Jake Wishart represented South Australia at the national competition. They won third place in the Evatt Trophy, the highest level South Australia had ever attained in that competition.

His Arabic language and presentation skills led to his selection as the keynote student speaker at the 2007 School of Languages Awards ceremony and his Adelaide-based Arabic training placed him at third year level when he began his university studies in Canberra in 2008.

At ANU, he has been involved in the ACT division of the United Nations Youth Association. In July 2008 he was elected Vice President for Administration. As Vice President he co-lead the ANU Persian Society, and he has also been involved in the Burgmann College soccer, table tennis and long-distance running sports teams.

Because of his involvement in the academic life at Burgmann College, including tutoring other students in Arabic and Persian, William was one of only two 1st year students to be awarded a Certificate of Academic Leadership by Principal Philip Dutton in 2008.

William’s immediate ambition is follow in the footsteps of C.A.S. Hawker by entering the Australian Army as an officer to serve Australia and the international community. This would include Afghanistan, a nation for which he has a deep fascination and which he believes occupies a critical position to achieving peace in the Middle East. His ultimate ambition is to enter Australian federal politics in order to serve the Australian community.

William is proud to call himself an Australian citizen. He’s also proud to identify himself as an Australian Citizen of the World. He’s done everything from being a kitchen hand to a temporary clerk and construction assistant. He is an energetic student with motivation and an active personality. He has a positive and constructive view of life and a strong will to succeed - and there is absolutely no doubt that he will.

Career Goal: To pursue a career, which will make a difference and the world a better place.

Sarah May was born in Tamworth NSW. She attended the local primary school. Her family then moved to the NW corner of Australia to Exmouth. Her parents were both doctors. Sarah has memories of the incredible heat, emus picking over their barren front lawn, watching a turtle come ashore and lay a hundred eggs, sheltering in the district hospital under the menace of an approaching cyclone, snorkelling off a boat and watching in fear and awe as a whale shark loomed into view, Without a doubt, this is where Sarah’s love for Australia’s unique environment was born.

She also attended the Tom Price Primary School and then returned to Tamworth on an academic scholarship for her secondary education. She attended the Tamworth Anglican College from 2002 to 2007. She graduated from Calrossy Campus at Tamworth Anglican College in 2007 with a TER of 98.05. In 2008, Sarah took a GAP year and worked at St Margaret’s School in Edinburgh

Sarah is a dynamic and articulate young woman possessing qualities of leadership and strength of character which made her popular and respected within the Calrossy Campus community. She is considerate, enthusiastic and possesses a keen sense of humour. Sarah approached her secondary studies with commitment and determination. Her academic results have been exemplary and she was awarded numerous prizes in English, French, Geography and Modern History for her endeavours.

Outside the College, Sarah has been acknowledged by awards of high distinction from the Australian Geographic Society and the NSW Geography Teacher’s Association.

Public speaking and oratory skill have also been areas of strength. Her quick wittedness was an invaluable asset to the College’s Mock Trial Team along with AHISS and Eisteddfod Debating Teams. In 2006 Sarah was recognised with a prestigious Leadership Award from Southern Cross University.

Growing up, Sarah never dreamt of being the stereotypical lawyer-type – and she still doesn’t. Through a rich variety of circumstances, she has had some pivotal opportunities to witness and experience the effects of social advantage, disadvantage and injustice in Australia and abroad.

She has been confronted by the results of failed law on individuals, communities and the environment and has seen the struggle for change.

She has had the chance to reflect on the capacity of law to empower individuals, lift communities and protect the environment. She believes she is able to apply herself, build trust in others and empower them to achieve more than they thought possible. Her goal is to study law and appreciate how it shapes the world, understand why it fails and to apply herself to raising it to its potential.

In 2004, the May family lived for 12 months in the remote extremes of British Columbia in the tiny settlement of Bella Coola where they were the cultural minority to the Native Indian Nuxalk community. Sarah became more aware of the importance of the natural environment and how people rely on it for their custom, culture and livelihood. In Bella Coola, logging, hunting and eco-tourism held the community together.

For three months in 2006, on a self-funded language exchange, Sarah lived with a French family in a disadvantaged area in the suburbs of northern Paris. The immersion opened her eyes to other ways of living and made her emotionally resilient.

Of all her senior year results she is particularly proud of her band 6 in HSC French Continuers, a 2-unit course studied independently via correspondence. The school was unable to provide a teacher.

She was co-head of the charity committee, a year 12 Leader and a charity prefect. Sarah was often involved in public speaking at assemblies and other school events and she took on the role of encouraging and mentoring her peers.

She held a part-time job for the last 2 ½ years of school. In her spare time she listens to a lot of music and in 2008 she was picked up by UK events-listing website ‘Remote Goat’ to be a voluntary reviewer of music gigs and theatre. She has reviewed for Splatt, an ABC Kids website.

In 2006 with a friend, she organised, trained for, planned and completed a gruelling 6-day walk in the wilds of Tasmania. Sarah achieved a Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2007 and is working towards her Gold Award.

In 2008 she volunteered as a carer for the Sony Children’s Holiday Camp. She cared for a severely disabled wheelchair bound 8-year old boy 24 hours a day for 4 days, to give his parents some much-needed respite. Her strong social conscience has meant that she has rocked the boat at times but there is little doubt that she will indeed make a difference. The world needs more young people like Sarah May.

Career Goal: To pursue a career in social justice and international affairs, working for an NGO or in politics.

Georgina Spanos has been privileged to grow up in a nurturing and supportive home environment with a family who instilled in her solid life values and respect for all people. Her Greek heritage and the multicultural make up of the Riverland in South Australia allowed her to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds and gave her a strong social awareness. Georgina worked on her family’s fruit property from an early age and this gave her an understanding of rural communities and a strong work ethic.

Georgina attended Renmark North Primary School and Renmark High School until year 10. During this time I represented her school in a wide range of sports, excelling in athletics and cross-country. She was actively involved in local volleyball, coaching and umpiring as well as representing her school at the National Schools Cup in Melbourne in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She coordinated the Spike Zone volleyball competition for primary school students in 2005. The competition aimed to provide participants with basic skills and confidence in the sport.

During her years at Renmark High School she was a member of the Student Representative Council. She worked with teachers and students on the Drug Strategy Program and the transition program and represented her school at the National Young Leaders Conference and Amnesty International Youth Conference. In her final year at Renmark High School she was awarded the Caltex Best All Rounder Medal for her academic success, conduct and behaviour and commitment to the school through sports and service.

Having spent a great deal of her life on the Murray River, Georgina recognises the importance of water safety, swimming, survival techniques and lifesaving knowledge. Since 1995 she have been a committed participant in the Royal Life Saving Society’s Vacswim programme. In 2005 she gained the Bronze Cross Award and Instructors Certificate.

She continues to work in the Vacswim programme and recently gained her Austswim qualification to teach Primary School students during term time.

This allowed her to communicate the importance of safe water practices to children of different ages, cultures and ability levels and to develop her communication and leadership skills.

In 2005 she was awarded a scholarship to complete her final two years of secondary education as a boarder at Pembroke School in Adelaide. This opportunity helped her to grow in confidence. She was exposed to new and challenging experiences. At the end of her first year, she was elected by her peers to Head Girl of Turner House for 2007. In this role she encouraged active participation of the girls by organizing a range of boarding house events, advocated on their behalf, liaised with the boarding house staff and acted as a positive role model. She graduated with a TER of 95.05.

In conjunction with her boarding duties, she represented the student body on the Student Staff Executive and contributed to the school by speaking at school assemblies, organising social and charity fundraising events and taking on the role of secretary. Her leadership skills and general organisation have developed as a result of these roles. At the conclusion of her final year at Pembroke, Georgina was awarded the Patricia Loy Citizenship Award for the Head Girl of Turner House and the Kaye M. Mitchell Award for Outstanding Leadership in, and Service to the School, by a year 12 girl.

During year 12 she was selected to take a GAP exchange in 2008 to Trinity College School in Ontario, Canada. As an overseas assistant, she was involved in all aspects of life in the Junior School - coaching, tutoring, supervising school camps and being part of the Senior School boarding community.

While on exchange, she travelled the east and west coast of Canada as well as the Caribbean Islands of Cuba and Barbados. She found Cuba to be challenging yet enlightening as it exposed her to an alternate culture and political system. She learnt a lot about the world and herself during these travels and her independence grew.

Georgina is particularly interested in human rights and national and international affairs. She has been a member of Amnesty International since year 10 and supported her local branch of Save the Children in fundraising to deliver immediate and lasting improvements to children’s lives worldwide.

Her year 12 studies in Geography, Modern History and Legal Studies allowed her to pursue this interest. She researched the Sudan genocide, Australia’s anti-terrorism laws and whether they comply with the Rule of Law and Natural Justice as well as Dietrich Bonhoffer’s opposition to Nazism.

Her interest and knowledge in these topics highlighted the importance of acknowledging our past and making sure we step forward into a future free from persecution, a world where all citizens are entitled to the most fundamental human rights.