Current Awardees

Left to right:   Nazia Safdari; Jake Barnett; Isum Malawaraarachchi; Dr Helen Nugent AC, Chairman of the Order of Australia Association Foundation; The Governor-General, Her Excellency, the Hon. Sam Mostyn AC; Ockert Visser; Zeph Hardie; Miriam Grice

 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Scholarships

The Scholarships have two significant features.  Awardees receive :

  • a Scholarship of $45,000 which is tailored to the awardee’s individual needs to include tuition fees, living allowance, text books and equipment ; and
  • an introduction to and a personal mentoring relationship with a volunteer mentor who is a recipient of the Order of Australia and is eminent in the chosen field of study of the awardee.

 

Selection of Scholarship Awardees

Each year the Foundation, in consultation with the generous donors who have provided the funding for individual Scholarships, offers Scholarships via the selected Universities and disciplines.  The Universities then call for applications for the Awards. The selection of Scholarship Awardees is guided by a Selection Panel consisting of Professors from each University designated for the Awards and three Foundation Board Directors.

The Foundation has, so far, awarded 66 Scholarships to undergratuates covering all States and Territories.

To be eligible for the Scholarship, the applicant must:

  • Be an Australian citizen aged in their twenties but, in exceptional circumstances, some may be considered up to their early 30’s;
  • Be currently enrolled in their first University Degree(s) and in their second year of study in one of the selected disciplines at a specified University;
  • Be a full-time student and expect to proceed to complete their course by full-time study;
  • Have demonstrated high academic achievement in their studies;
  • Have demonstrated qualities of leadership, initiative and involvement in community affairs; and,
  • Be able to demonstrate their need for financial assistance to benefit from the Scholarship

Awardees receive a Scholarship of $40,000 which is tailored to their individual needs. These include tuition fees, living allowance, text books and equipment.

An introduction to and a personal mentoring relationship with a volunteer mentor who is a member of the Order of Australia and is eminent in the chosen field of study of the awardee.