PROFILES OF ORDER OF AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION SCHOLARS

Jake Barnett

Jake Barnett is undertaking a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with a major in Mechanical Engineering.  His Scholarship has been donated by The Goodeve Foundation.

Jake seeks to use his rare combination of undoubted academic ability; his bias to practical action; his commitment to community; and his interpersonal qualities to make a meaningful contribution to Australia’s future.  In so doing he will take full advantage of the mentorship offered with the scholarship and benefit significantly from the financial assistance that goes with the scholarship.

In his mid-twenties, Jake shows a wide-eyed maturity and laser-like focus on areas where he considers he can make a difference by tackling the “big problems”.  He treats his initial foray into and his subsequent retreat from studying medicine as a learning experience that has enhanced his journey of self-discovery.  He describes himself as being logical, musical, hardworking, intelligent and disciplined, to which could be added passionate and courageous.

To be true to himself, Jake is committed to pursuing a career that has meaning for him.  He wants to tackle the big problems of renewables as a mechanical engineer, potentially exploring the possibility of wave energy, and by working with a large company to gain experience in the design of options to tackle what he sees as one of the great issues of our age.  

His disciplined and committed approach to life is reflected in his sporting activities, where he actively gives back and to being a team player. That includes long-term membership and a volunteer commitment to the WA Rogaining Association and to rowing, both of which are strongly disciplined team-based sports, where he works with like-minded individuals.   At the same time, he connects with his creative side through his musical endeavours, as diverse as ensembles involving gamelan, the saron and as the bass player in a band.  He is also intensely involved with multiple university clubs and organisations.  

This same sense of discipline and purpose is on display with his academic results where he has earned high distinctions in all but one subject where he received a Distinction.  

With his laser like focus and practical bent to making a difference, Jake will not only benefit from the Scholarship but bring singular distinction in his chosen fields of endeavour

Miriam Grice

Miriam Grice is undertaking a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at the University of Queensland. Her Scholarship has been donated by the Order of Australia Association.

Miriam is a rare individual of exceptional talent and integrity, who defines the best of what it means to be a servant leader.  Those qualities reflect the confluence of six main influences on her life that explain her goal to make a major difference to improve mental health services in rural and regional Australia. 

The first is growing up in regional Australia in Inverell, Geraldton, and Rockhampton.  There she witnessed, in a profoundly personal way, the impact of lack of access to timely mental health services, to which she attributed the suicides or attempted suicides of a number of people with whom she came in contact.     

The second is her faith.  She is the daughter of a minister, which explains why she moved to various geographies.  Her positivity, based on her faith, is infectious, even in the face of dire personal situations. The name Miriam – despite its links to words describing hardship – is also derived from a word meaning “oil of joy”. “Joy” permeates her entire being.  She has also been involved with the University of Queensland Evangelical Students. 

The third is her intellect.  She has achieved a GPA of 6.46 out of 7, being on the Dean’s List in several semesters. Despite these superior results, she is emphatic in putting her focus on people before grades or results.   

The fourth is her sense of community, which has emerged not just from her involvement with the church, but also from her sporting commitments, particularly Women’s Cricket in regional Queensland.  She developed the inaugural Girls’ Only junior cricket program in Rockhampton and was highly involved in junior cricket in Central Queensland, which she viewed as a way of promoting mental health for young people – especially women – in regional and Indigenous communities. 

 The fifth is her strong leadership skills, initially developed at primary school as School Captain and House Captain.  More recently in 2023, she was awarded an Australian Olympic Change Maker Award for exceptional leadership and an outstanding contribution to regional sport, especially regarding her involvement with developing female-focused cricket programs in Central Queensland.  It was also reflected in her being awarded Student of the Year in 2023 by Rockhampton State High School for an outstanding demonstration of the school’s values, contribution to the school community, and her leadership in Vice and House Captaincies.

Sixth, but far from last, Miriam has been shaped by her own health challenges.  She lives with a rare autoimmune disease that causes scarring hair loss, among other impacts.  Initially, it was not properly diagnosed because she lived regionally, thereby reinforcing her commitment to regional health services.  Despite the significant side effects caused by her condition and its treatment, Miriam’s focus is on serving others, particularly by using the Occupational Therapy Degree she is undertaking as a quicker pathway to become a mental health professional, so she can help regional communities with mental health issues.   

Miriam’s story provides an emotional intensity and bravery in the way, despite her personal challenges, she deals with and addresses the needs of others, including in a clinical setting. 

Zeph Hardie

Zeph Hardie is undertaking a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with majors in Computer and Software Systems.  His Scholarship is donated by Mrs Angela Wheelton OAM DSJ and Ms Beverley Pinder OAM.

Zeph is a worthy winner of an Order of Australia Association Foundation Scholarship based on his strong and sustained academic performance; his extensive community involvement across a variety of fields; his leadership; and his vision for his future career.  He prizes the opportunity for the Scholarship to provide him with a high-quality mentor.

Zeph has attained an overall GPA of 6.79 out of 7, obtaining 11 High Distinctions and three Distinctions.  He has been on the Executive Dean’s List for Academic Excellence in all three completed semesters.  But it is not merely his grades that are impressive but also his deep desire to understand how and why things work, with a view to using technology and engineering to make the world a better place, along with his commitment to doing everything to the best of his ability.  At Genesis Christian College, where he went to high school, he was dux in all but his final year. 

Zeph is extensively involved in other activities.  He is an accomplished swimmer, having won a Queensland school title, and been his school swimming captain, where he sought to increase team spirit.  He is an accomplished musician and performer, having been Arts Prefect at his School, as well as Jazz Captain, while teaching piano.  He has also been a member of QUT’s Robotics Team since 2024 (where he is the assistant projects manager) and previously was a member of his School’s Robotics Team from 2017 to 2023.  He currently teaches robotics at his old school’s Techverse Club. 

Over and above that, he participated in the National Youth Science Forum, showing leadership in helping organize the event, while furthering his career by gaining access to industry professionals.  Participation in the QUT Real Leaders program has enhanced his leadership and networking opportunities.  In addition, Zeph considers that his underlying Christian faith defines his values and his commitment to purpose.  In almost all these areas, Zeph has displayed significant and sustained leadership. 

Zeph’s stated career objective is to branch into neuromorphic computing research (where chips and sensors reflect the structure and function of the human brain).  He considers this area of technology will become increasingly important.  However, he is equally inspired by other areas of robotics, recognizing that he needs to explore the limits of putting together different technologies and his own innate curiosity about how things work.   

Zeph is high energy, enthusiastic, and focused on making a difference in his field of endeavour.  His differentiating characteristic is the way he combines these attributes with his wide-ranging community activities.  His diversity of interests, his natural curiosity and innate leadership skills, combined with his ambition to use technology to make a real difference for humanity, makes him a worthy winner of this Scholarship. 

Isum Malawaraarachchi

Isum Malawaraarachchi is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Medical Studies at Bond University.  His Scholarship has been donated by Dr Helen Nugent AC, the Chairman of the Order of Australia Association Foundation.

Isum presented a compelling picture of what has led him to his study of medicine; to his choosing to go to Bond University; his commitment to academic excellence and community engagement; and to his career ambitions. That is embedded in his deep commitment to family; Buddhist faith; personal charm and empathy; his strong belief in the importance of equality of opportunity; high energy levels; and profound belief in the criticality of communications and teamwork.

Family lies at the core of Isum’s world view. Touched by the commitment of a doctor who went out of his way to treat his mother when she was ill, he was determined to live a life with purpose by pursuing a career in medicine. The illness of his grandmother, who lives with the family in Melbourne, has reinforced that choice.

Isum deliberately chose to study at Bond because he believed in the sense of community that he tangibly felt as part of the interview process. That commitment has paid off at Bond with his earning straight High Distinctions and being placed for three terms on the Vice Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence (the highest academic honour achievable at Bond) with a GPA of 90%.

He has earned the respect of his peers by engaging in mainstream activities such as football and his infectious high energy and commitment to empathetic communications that he adjusts to ensure the receptivity of his audience. He was elected School Council President at Melbourne High School by his peers in 2023; was a member of the 1st eight rowing crew; became a football referee in Victoria officiating as part of the referee academy ; and led a team in fund-raising thousands of dollars for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. In all these activities, he was thoughtful in how he communicated, ensuring that he engaged and motivated others. His empathy reinforces his belief that this quality will help him to become a better doctor.

His Sinhalese heritage and the financial pressures facing his immigrant family have led him to work to strive for equal opportunity in medicine for all who wish to pursue this profession.  He currently works at Contour MedPrep focusing on changing the landscape of education for aspiring medical students. Most notably, in 2025, he has organised logistics in their Interstate Project, which provided over 3000 students from across Australia with complimentary access to medical entry advice and preparation.

His high energy, propensity to enjoy high pressure environments and his desire to make a difference, both now and into the future, reinforces his desire to work in Emergency Medicine.

Overall, Isum is a very high achiever, who is intent on making a difference in society. He will benefit immensely from the financial and mentorship support offered by the Scholarship.

Nazia Safdari

Nazia is undertaking a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Business Management at the University of Queensland. 

She is a truly remarkable individual, whose inspirational story has been shaped by her life experiences. 

A Hazara by ethnicity, Nazia came to Australia in 2017 after her parents fled to Quetta in Pakistan to avoid persecution in Afghanistan (The Shia Hazaras have faced long-standing persecution and discrimination in Afghanistan).  Nazia and her brother were born after her parents fled to Pakistan, after which her father (leaving the rest of the family behind in Pakistan) failed in his attempt to reach Australia by boat. He was granted an Australian refugee status after spending almost four years in detention in Indonesia.  In 2017, Nazia (then aged 11), and the rest of her family reunited with their father in Australia. Prior to arriving in Australia, Nazia had received only informal education and spoke only minimal English.  Today, Nazia helps her parents with English, and her brother looks to Nazia for guidance.

Despite being the first in her family to attend University, Nazia has excelled academically and is an active member in her community. She wants to use her emerging professional skills to give back to society to help those less fortunate than herself. 

In her degree to date, in subjects that are English language rich, she has achieved a GPA of 6.42 out of a possible 7.  At the same time, she uses her impeccable command of the English language, her natural curiosity and her dedication to truly understand the subject she is studying, not just to obtain high marks.  Her conversation is nuanced, composed and impressive. 

Her positive attitude and determination to give back is reflected in her volunteer activities.  That includes promoting cultural inclusion efforts at her former high school (Marsden State High School); volunteering at her local mosques; and assisting recently arrived families who have a similar experience navigate the intricacies of integrating into a new life.  She describes such work as being deeply personal and meaningful to her.

She wishes to enhance that activity by becoming a human rights lawyer, with a focus on providing legal support to disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, including those with an Indigenous background.  In particular, she wants to work with marginalised and persecuted ethnic groups, including refugees, to help them become productive citizens, as well as to understand their legal rights and obligations.  She wants to be an advocate for them in a constructive manner.  That includes her desire to become a Protection Officer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

Her positivity is also reflected in the practical way she seeks to help her family.  She has become a role model for her brother, who she is clearly inspiring to excel.  She is a full-time carer for her mother, who lives with a profound disability resulting from her harrowing experiences. She further provides practical navigational support for her parents, who are proud of her, but whose abilities to integrate are more constrained. 

Nazia’s positive approach to overcoming adversity and converting it into change is inspirational.  She reaches out to others, and that interaction creates a cycle of dynamic goodwill.  She has maximised every opportunity available to her and has excelled in so doing.

Ockert Visser

Mr Ockert Visser is undertaking a Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours) with a major in Quantum Computing at the University of Western Australia (UWA).  The donor for this Scholarship is the McCusker Charitable Foundation.

While Ockert was born in South Africa, when he was a child, his parents moved to Queensland, in the hope of providing a better life for Ockert and his brother.  Recently, the family moved to Perth.  Having completed his first year of study at the University of Queensland, Ockert received advanced standing to enter the second year of his Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science at UWA.

Ockert displays a quiet yet humble confidence and articulateness, reflecting his superior emotional intelligence, development of which reflects the influence of his mother.  As a consequence, he is recognized for his leadership skills.  For instance, in his final high school year, he was elected by his peers as one of two School Captains at Sunshine Beach State High School.  Equally, he was chosen to be Captain of his local community grade Rugby Union team. 

Balance defines who Ockert is as a person.  While he is determined to do well and to focus on his academic performance, he also draws strength from his community engagement and the sense of teamwork that involves.  For example, having suffered an injury, he has continued to volunteer as a Rugby Union Referee, including having been selected as a referee for the Australian Schools and Junior Rugby Union Championship in 2025 in Queensland.  The same commitment to community and teamwork permeates his involvement with Surf Life Saving, both at Noosa Heads (where he rescued swimmers in danger), and more recently through his involvement at Perth’s Sorrento Surf Club.  Surf Life Saving allows him not only to contribute to society, but also to stay in contact with individuals as they walk the beach.  The sense of community as being fundamental to the human condition also explains Ockert’s decision more recently to join the Army Reserves as an officer, where the sense of community and teamwork are palpable. 

At the same time, Ockert is hardworking and ambitious, including his desire for a career in Quantum Computing, where he hopes to push boundaries.  It is this determination and commitment to hard work that has contributed to his achieving strong academic results, notwithstanding the impact of changing universities and states.  He looks for a mentor in this area to stretch his thinking and to support him. 

Ockert’s distinctive leadership confidence and articulateness, along with his emotional intelligence, makes him a worthy winner of this Scholarship.