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The Australia Day Scholarship was established by Bond University in 1994, in conjunction with the Australia Day Committee (Victoria) to recognise Victorian young achievers.
The award provides an important opportunity for a talented and motivated year 12 student to study at Australia's first independent university. The scholarship is valued up to $117,000 and covers tuition fees for any single or double undergraduate program at the University.
To qualify applicants must demonstrate a high level of leadership, involvement in their school or local community, a breadth of interests and a capacity for academic achievement.
All finalists selected by the Committee for interview are also required to present a three minute presentation entitled, 'My Vision for Australia'.
Past winners have come from a variety of backgrounds from across Victoria.
Applications for the scholarship open in May and close 31 July.
For further information about the Australia Day Scholarship and Bond University, contact the Victorian
Admissions Manager.
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Samuel Morrissy a student from BOX HILL NORTH has been awarded the 2008 Bond University Australia Day scholarship after delivering a speech that provided his thoughts on the issues he feels are important in building this nation and his ‘Vision for Australia’, namely Education, the Environment and the Social Framework.
The Xavier College graduate when not organizing debating competitions or being involved in community service activities likes to run and keep fit. Sam also speaks very highly of his exchange to Broome in Year 10, whereby he along with three other students had the opportunity to spend three weeks in the Kimberley region living with an Aboriginal host family.
As a keen debater and study of politics, Sam will be able to further his knowledge and skills while undertaking is double degree at Bond University on the Gold Coast where he will be studying for a combined Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts degree. This degree combination, due to Bond’s three semesters per year program, will only take him three years and four months to complete. It is his ambition to possibly one day get into politics and to have the ability to positively influence change. Bond University with its small class sizes and excellent global networking opportunities will assist him greatly in bringing his ambition to life.
The judges were very impressed with Sam’s communication skills and ambition. His speech was well structured and well delivered and provides an excellent blueprint to one way of making this nation even better than it is today. These qualities along with his strong social conscience and drive to succeed will make him an excellent ambassador for his school, Victoria and Bond University.
Sam explained that he is very excited to be attending Bond University “mainly due to its personal approach and emphasis on all round attributes not just academics.”
For further information, or to arrange an interview with Sam, contact Jason Watts on 9650 5028 or 0419 561 927.
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Sam Morrissy’s speech – Vision for Australia
Australia is a dynamic and vibrant country and one of the most liveable on earth. For a successful future we must build on this to extend our outward focus, harnessing the talent, creativity and innovation abundant in this great land. Our multicultural democracy, admired by the world for the past twenty years, needs constant strengthening if it is to remain as healthy and central as it must in Australia’s future. As one of the wealthiest nations on this earth, it is also our responsibility to ensure that all Australians receive the fruits of our labour, and are inspired to work towards a common future.
Motherhood statements are all very well, but we need central ideas. I have nominated three specific areas I believe need to be our focus over the next thirty years. Education, the environment and our social framework are critical to building the best Australia we can.
To ensure we have the best equipped minds to deal with the challenges the future holds, we must focus on delivering the best possible education system for our young people. Improvements in university funding and secondary education are vital. Do we want a future where the divide is large between those who were the fortunate recipient of a quality education, and those for whom this necessity is something inaccessible? Benjamin Disraeli once said that upon the education of a people, the fate of a country depends.
The environment needs to be front and square in our thinking of the future – the challenge of global warming is well noted, and finally seems to be gaining traction in the political sphere, but we must devote the significant resources of our governments and businesses to tackling these issues. Sustainability, water management and conservation are critical to ensuring an Australia that is productive and responsible over the next half a century.
Australia’s social fabric is strong and has withstood different pressures over many years. Yet for Australia to maximise its future potential, the values and ideals that bind us need to be rejuvenated. Improvements in Indigenous social policy are critical, and we must do far more than our previous attempts to find real solutions in this are; civic engagement and addressing the unspoken issue of homelessness are also critical issues – a successful and positive Australian future cannot be one where the equality divide is large.
Steve Vizard, in his 1999 Australia Day address, said that “this nation is not yet built. It is a nation still under construction, where we, just like our forebears, are all the builders”. These words resonate, and the need to bind the Australia community and harness its talent, creativity and inherent egalitarianism will be critical for our future; to move forward and complete the building process, we must address our social, economic and environmental issues, and act as a responsible global citizen.
We cannot allow our great nation to meander without purpose – a vision for our future that encompasses all Australians in an egalitarian and vibrant community is a place in which I want to live. It is a vision that is possible to fulfil – and that is our great challenge.
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