Established to advance the interests Australian Catholic students who are in necessitous circumstances*, enrolled at an Australian tertiary institution or tertiary residential college.
Aged between 15 and 25 ie. who have reached 16 but not reached the age of 25 when the 2nd or subsequent full time study year commences.
The student will have demonstrated drive and commitment to achieve academically, despite financial hardship, or other personal difficulty, in order to continue their studies.
The student will have completed at least 1 year of full time study towards their Bachelor degree.
The scholarship will be paid to the recipient, if there is satisfactory academic progress, for the duration of their studies. The student must use the money to discharge their liability to the tertiary institution or college.
*A person is in necessitous circumstances where they don’t have enough financial resources to have a modest standard of living in Australia. A person receiving Centre Care “Youth Allowance” is qualified as “necessitous”
The following documents:-
Scholarship eligibility and selection criteria;
Guide to scholarship applications;
Scholarship conditions and
Scholarship application form
can be obtained from the www catenian.org
All applications must be submitted electronically to info@bryantchurch.com.au
Applications will close at 4 pm on 31 January 2022
In 2019 the Catenian Charity Inc. awarded its second scholarship of $5,000 to KARRI THOMAS who was residing at Aquinas College in Adelaide. Then aged 19, she qualified for a scholarship due to her financial circumstances.
Karri’s application was vetted by the Charity’s Scholarship Master and unanimously recommended by the three members of the Catenian Charity’s selection panel. Their view was:
“Karri is an amazing young person with envious school and first year university academic performances. We recommend that Karri be awarded a scholarship based on her obvious needs, her outstanding academic record, potential and necessitous circumstances.”
Karri attended local schools for both her primary and secondary school education. She recognised that education was a critical part of her future and in 2017 she resided at Aquinas College (a Catholic residential college attached to the University of Adelaide) to commence a science degree. In 2017 she achieved either high distinctions or distinctions in each of the units she was studying.
She recently wrote this report: “I would like to thank the Catenian Charity for its continued support that has allowed me to complete yet another year of study. I am currently halfway through my honours year in which I’m working on a project involving the production of biodegradable plastics (PHA’s) from wastewater microbial cultures.”
“While there have been many challenges to my research so far (not helped by the ever-changing circumstances caused by COVID-19), within the next few months I hope to gain better insight into the feasibility of producing PHA plastics from the wastewater treatment plants in South Australia and how to maximise the yield.”
“Throughout my project,” Karri writes, “I have been working between labs at both Flinders University and South Australian Water Authority where I’ve gained valuable insight into other cutting-edge research such as improving the nutritional potential of micro algal supplements or the testing of wastewater for traces of COVID-19. The experience I have gained working in such environments has immensely improved my skills and knowledge as a researcher, so I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to continue my study in this way.”
“After graduation I would like to continue working on similar research projects, hopefully using my recently acquired skills to make a difference to the world in some way. While I do not know what the future may bring, I’m looking forward to whatever lies ahead.” Karri Thomas
In her second last year before graduation, Jessica Fenton reports on her progress
Jessica Fenton
The Catenian Charity’s third scholarship recipient, JESSICA FENTON was born in 1997 at Narrogin where she spent her early childhood before moving to Mandurah to continue her secondary education. She has two sisters and two brothers in a closely-knit family.
In 2017 Jessica enrolled at the University of Western Australia and commenced a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in medical sciences and psychological sciences. She graduated with that degree in 2020 and is now enrolled in the school of medicine. Jessica has resided at St Thomas More College in Crawley where in 2018 she was a resident advisor and in 2019 became a senior resident advisor.
She has an outstanding academic record from secondary school and university and additionally scored well in the three other Catenian Charity Inc. criteria.
“Over the New Year I was extremely blessed with the arrival of my first nephew Harvey Mark Wayne Canna,” Jessica writes in her latest report to the Charity. “He is a stunning little boy that arrived healthy in mid-December 2020. Our family is overjoyed with the new addition with my sister and her partner adjusting well, being both happy and healthy at home.”
“In the last semester of 2020 I gained some wonderful experience and finished the year with a distinction average,” Jessica said. “Although COVID-19 restricted our practical time it taught me the value of appreciating what we have whilst we have it. I know as I move through 2021 that I will carry this message with me, making every moment count as you never know when the opportunity might disappear.”
“In 2021 I will be completing my second last year before graduation and will be undertaking my practical rotations moving through metropolitan hospitals.”
“I’m excited to see what new and wonderful things I will encounter with the different fields I’ll be exposed to. Perhaps I’ll find my field of passion and illuminate a journey that I hadn’t yet seen.”
“Additionally I have been afforded the opportunity to complete my scholarly activity in education as I believe education is so crucial within the medical field.”
“As I gear up for the year ahead, I am hopeful for what the future brings and appreciative of the people who have enabled me the opportunity to be here, including the Catenian Charity Inc. scholarship which has been an enormous benefit to me.”
Established
to advance the interests Australian Catholic students who are in necessitous
circumstances*, enrolled at an Australian tertiary institution or tertiary
residential college.
Aged between
15 and 25 ie. who have reached 16 but not reached the age of 25 when the 2nd or
subsequent full time study year commences.
The student
will have demonstrated drive and commitment to achieve academically, despite
financial hardship, or other personal difficulty, in order to continue their
studies.
The student
will have completed at least 1 year of full time study towards their Bachelor
degree.
The scholarship
will be paid to the recipient, if there is satisfactory academic progress, for
the duration of their studies. The student must use the money to discharge
their liability to the tertiary institution or college.
*A person is
in necessitous circumstances where they don’t have enough
financial resources to have a modest standard of living in Australia. A person
receiving Centre Care “Youth Allowance” is qualified as “necessitous”
The following
documents:-
Scholarship eligibility and selection criteria;
Guide
to scholarship applications;
Scholarship conditions and
Scholarship application form
can be obtained from the www
catenian.org
All applications must be
submitted electronically to info@bryantchurch.com.au
Applications are open and close at 4 pm on 12 August 2019
Emma
Louise Jackson has been awarded the Youth Fund Scholarship of $4,000 pa (continuous)
in 2019.
Emma, a young lady from Turramurra on the
Upper North Shore of Sydney is reading medicine at the Fremantle campus of the
University of Notre Dame, Australia. Born in Sydney in 1994 she completed her
secondary education at Loreto Normanhurst in 2012, graduating as dux of the
school. She then went on to complete a combined Bachelor of Science and
Bachelor of Commerce at Macquarie University.
During her undergraduate degree Emma
completed two semester-long exchanges, firstly at the University of British
Columbia, Canada in 2014 and then at Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore in 2016. She was the recipient of a prestigious Australian Government
New Colombo Plan scholarship, financially supporting her studies in Singapore
as well as a commerce internship in Indonesia in 2017. Later that year, Emma
competed in the international iGEM synthetic biology competition as a member of
the Macquarie University team. The iGEM Foundation is an independent, non-profit
organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology, education and
competition, and the development of an open community and collaboration.
Their project centred on the creation of
hydrogen energy using E. Coli bacteria instead of fossil fuels. Emma presented
the project alongside her teammates at the international jamboree in Boston and
won the award for Best Energy Solution.
In 2018 Emma hiked the 800km Camino de
Santiago, raising over $4,000 for youth mental health charity Headspace in the
process. Camino de Santiago, known in English, as the Way of Saint
James, among other names is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading
to the shrine of the apostleSaint James the Great in
the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain.
She was an active member of the
Turramurra community and regularly dedicated her time to worthwhile causes. She
volunteered for 4 years on weekly basis at Saint Lucy’s Catholic School,
Wahroonga. This is a school in the Dominican tradition for students with
disabilities. As a classroom assistant she helped the teacher coordinate
learning activities for the children and offered support for children unable to
complete the activities unassisted.
Through this role she
demonstrated a strong level of commitment, passion and creativity. She was a regular
vocalist at her local church singing in the evening service as a member of the
church band. She is passionate in helping Australians struggling with mental
issues.
Earlier this year Emma moved to Perth from
Sydney to commence her studies in medicine. She is sincerely grateful to the
Catenian Association for awarding her the Youth Fund scholarship as it will
greatly reduce the stress and financial burden of living so far away from home
and enable her to focus her attention solely on her studies.
Emma is the eldest of 4 children as she has 3
younger brothers.
Ken Wong (Manager of Graduations at Macquarie University)
writes of Emma as follows :-
“Emma is
an exceptionally gifted student who has extensively contributed to the
Macquarie University community. Throughout her 5 years at Macquarie she
received several academic prizes. Emma is a natural leader who energises and
motivates others in any role she takes on.
Emma is a
warm and sociable person. She is keen to learn from everyone she meets and
shows a genuine interest in understanding the lives of others.”
On 1 May 2019 Emma was presented
with a Scholarship Certificate by Brian Kerman on behalf of the Board at a
morning tea hosted by Fiona Whittles Director, Office of
University Relations at Notre Dame and attended by Professor Naomi
Trengove the Dean of the School of Health Sciences.
The Board appreciates the assistance of all members of that
Office and furthermore the donations by Circle brothers that makes our Catenian
contribution to the lives of our young leaders possible.
Clare with her mother Jack Billings and
Brian Illiffe.
In 2013 the Catenian Youth Project
supported Clare a St Norbert College year 12 pupil.
She was one of only ten Australians
chosen to attend the London International Youth Science Forum and she was able to
visit some of the most prestigious scientific establishments in Europe.
She told us then “I was also privileged
to visit a Space Science Laboratory run by the University College of London,
where they were building mechanical and electrical components for satellites,”
As LIYSF students, we were allowed to see parts of these research
establishments not normally open to the public.”
A number of prestigious speakers gave
expert lectures at the LIYSF, covering a wide range of topics such as Dark
Matter, medicines in Third World countries, Photomedicine, the need to reduce
our carbon consumption in an increasingly industrial world and Gene Therapy.
“We engaged in student debates on
controversial topics, such as whether or not there should be collaboration
between the core sciences, and whether Globalisation has caused a compromise in
scientific ethics,” added Clare.
The forum wasn’t all about work and the
social program gave participants an opportunity to meet likeminded students
from all around the world.
After the forum, 30 lucky participants
continued on to Paris and Geneva where they were hosted by CERN, the European
Organisation for Nuclear Research.
“We had the amazing opportunity to go
underground and see the Large Hadron Collinder (LHC), the largest particle
accelerator in the world.”
Clare commence a Bachelor
of Science in Pharmacology and Physiology in 2014 at the University of Western
Australia which she completed in 2016.
She is in my second-last
year of medicine at UWA. She is studying
in Northam this year as part of a program called Rural Clinical School, where
medical students spend a year in a rural community in the hope that they will
return to the country as qualified doctors. She hopes eventually to do
obstetrics – so in January 2020 she has
a 4 week placement in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in London to get a bit more of
a taste of it.
At present she is living in Northam this year until the end of November 2019. (hence the rural shot)
The evening of Sunday 3rd March was the occasion for the
first Collegiate Dinner for the year, during which awards and prizes were
distributed for the results of Semester 2 2018.
Special guests for the evening were
Bishop Gregory O’Kelly SJ AM who led a celebration of the Eucharist before the
Dinner, and Professor Denis Ralph, Chair of the South Australian Commission for
Catholic Education, and distinguished alumnus of Aquinas.
During the dinner, the many students
who achieved Distinctions and High Distinctions were acknowledged and
congratulated.
Faculty awards were made to:
Arts – Mitchell Thompson
Business – Holly Wood
Education – Bridget Manning
Engineering – Jack Gosling
Nursing – Sheridan Rosalia
Allied Health – Charlie Muecke
Michael Cogman from the Catenian
Association attended to present a Scholarship to Karri Thomas, the first time
an Aquinian has won this scholarship.
Recipients of the Major Awards were:
Father C.P. Finn Prize for best
results in first-year student: Ashleigh Fogarty and Holly Wood
The Brother Austin Stephen’s Prize for best results in second-year: Larry
Klingner and Fletcher Thomas
The Kennedy Family Prize for best results in third or fourth year: Sam Thompson
The Aquinas Medal for Dux of the College: Larry Klingner
The dinner came at the end of a
highly enjoyable and engaging O-Week. Jointly planned by the College’s senior staff,
the Student Club Executive, the Academic Team, and the Campus Ministry Team,
the week was a structured and balanced mix of a range of activities and events
that helped students to enter into life at Aquinas and set the College on its
intended course for the year. Include in the week were: academic
orientation; presentations around personal wellbeing, responsibility,
safety, and relationships; launch of the new Campus Ministry Team and options
for service and spirituality; a range of fun, social and sporting activities.
The
opportunity to study medicine and fulfil an ambition to make a real
contribution to health and wellbeing of Australian society brought Anna across
the country from Melbourne to Notre Dame’s School of Medicine, Fremantle.
A
graduate in Biomedical Science from Melbourne University Anna has offset
expenses involved in living far from her hometown in northern Victoria with the
help of a Fremantle Heart Patients scholarship (2017) and the Catenian
Association Province 20 Youth scholarship ($4,000) in 2018.
Anna
was born in Nathalia, Victoria and attended school there at St. Mary of the
Angels Secondary College until 2011. Between 2012 and 2014 she read Biomedicine
at the University of Melbourne, where she was awarded Kwong Lee Dow
Scholarship. She
resided at St Mary’s College, Parkville which is affiliated with
that University. In 2013 she achieved a full blue for sport.
She
came from the other side to enrol at the University of Notre Dame Australia
(Fremantle campus) in 2015. In 2017 she received the Dean of Medicine
commendation for outstanding performance in her three years of medical studies
– she achieved a distinction. She graduated as a Doctor of Medicine on the 12
December 2018 after 7 years of tertiary effort. At the awards ceremony she
received a further commendation for obtaining a distinction each year of the
degree.
Her
family came from the East to congratulate her and enjoy her success. It was a
double celebration for the family as her younger sister, Helena graduated with
a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Asian Studies and a diploma of
Mandarin from Melbourne University. Helena is about to work at Canberra. Her
brother Alex is an undergraduate at Melbourne University. Her parents Ruth and
Nick are now “home alone” as they teach at St.Mary of the Angels.
Anna
plans to specialise in critical care and commenced in early January, at Royal
Perth Hospital, Western Australia, having spent Xmas and New Year with her
family.
Earlier
in December she was presented with a certificate from the Youth Support Project
and the University of Notre Dame Australia.
The
presentation was at the Fremantle Campus by Professor Selma Alliex (Pro
Vice Chancellor and Head of Fremantle Campus ) and Colin
Broun Vice-President of the Youth Support Fund. The assistance of Fiona
Whittles and Stefania Demurtas at Notre Dame in arranging the presentation and
producing the certificate and supplying morning tea is appreciated as is the
support of Professor Alliex. Colin retired from medical practice in 2016 so it
was fitting that our “old-timer” was able to conduct the handover.
Anna
has previously expressed her appreciation to the Catenians for their generosity
to herself.
We wish Anna every success and happiness. Anna is a fine young lady who will succeed in anything she puts her mind to.
The Catenian Charity Inc. has awarded its second scholarship of $5,000 to a young lady, Karri Thomas who is studying at Aquinas College in Adelaide. Aged 19, she qualifies for a scholarship due to her financial circumstances.
The
inaugural Catenian Charity scholarship of $5,000 was awarded at the beginning
of 2018 to Ashleigh Habkouk who is reading Biomedical Science at the University
of Notre Dame, Fremantle Campus. The search for a second recipient began
Australia-wide with the second round of applications closing on 3 October 2018.
Karri’s
application was vetted by the Charity’s Scholarship Master and unanimously
recommended by the three members of the Catenian Charity selection panel. Their
views are set out hereunder:
“Karri is an amazing young
person with envious school and first year University academic performances. I
recommend that Karri be awarded a scholarship based on her obvious needs, her
outstanding academic record, potential and necessitous circumstances.”
“Karri ticks all the boxes.
She is highly motivated, smart and a worthy applicant.”
“Karri has demonstrated
commitment to her studies and a strong will to succeed academically despite her
financial need and, more recently, her cancer diagnosis. I highly recommend her
as the recipient of the scholarship.”
Karri was
born in June 1999 and grew up on a sheep farm near the small town of Manoora
about 120 kilometres north of Adelaide. Baptised at St Anthony of Padua Church
in Manoora in September 1999, Karri attended local schools for both her primary
and secondary school education. She recognised that education was a critical
part of her future and in 2017 she enrolled at Aquinas College (a Catholic
residential college attached to the University of Adelaide) to commence a
science degree. In 2017 she achieved either high distinctions or distinctions
in each of the units she was studying.
Her first
year of university in 2017 went smoothly, but in the first week of the first
semester in 2018 she was diagnosed with stage two kidney cancer. She made the
decision to defer further university attendance because her treatment would
mean that she would miss many compulsory practical units.
Recommencing
study in the second semester she slowly began to get back on top of things.
She has
been unable to take on any paid work on top of her study commitments, which
together with the cost of her medical treatment has left her facing a difficult
financial position in 2019. Her parents agreed to pay the difference between
her Centrelink payments and her college fees for the first two years at
college, as they did with her three older siblings, but the agreement is for
her to pay for herself each year afterwards.
She would
love to stay at Aquinas College in 2019 because of the high level of support
she receives.
When Karri
finishes as an undergraduate her wish is to undertake honours and then a Phd in
the life sciences sector. She has an ambition to undertake a research project
and eventually start her own business from which she can make a difference to
the world.
Karri’s teacher
in Year 12 writes of her inter alia:
“I have known Karri Thomas
for seven years and during this time she has consistently presented a
dedicated, motivated and aspirational attitude towards her studies and extra
curricula activities.”
“She is one of the few students I have taught that has the
capacity to achieve anything she puts her mind to without exception. Karri has
developed sound time management, prioritisation and academic skills. She
consistently performs to a very high academic and moral standard, which
demonstrates her capacity to learn and achieve at a high level.”
“Throughout her time at high school, Karri was “Dux” in every
year; demonstrating her continuous commitment to excellence. She is also highly
athletically driven as she participated and was successful in all sports
offered by the school.”
“Karri’s attention to detail is unfailing in all aspects of
her life, where she exhibits her drive for achievement and accomplishment. When
faced with challenges she faces them head on and problem solves solutions until
a positive outcome is achieved.”
“Even in the face of serious illness in 2018, Karri was
determined to utilise her time to learn, so she focused her time on learning a
language while in recovery. I am proud of the way that Karri dedicates herself
to her studies, personal pursuits, interests and ethical standards. I am also
grateful to know an individual who inspires me to aim high every day and to
challenge myself to ensure there is no pathway left untraveled.”
The Catenian Charity Inc has
announced university scholarships for 2018. In the decade since its formation,
the Youth Support Fund has made grants; and scholarships and bursaries
totalling over $70,000 helping young people develop their faith and assisting
others pursue tertiary education. And now the newly formed Catenian Charity has
awarded its first scholarship since inception in 2017.
Ashleigh Habkouk
is congratulated and welcomed as the inaugural recipient of the Catenian
Charity Inc scholarship of $5,000 per annum for the duration of her studies
towards a degree as a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Notre Dame,
Fremantle campus.
She completed her secondary education at Mt.
St Benedict College Pennant Hills in New South Wales in 2015. Ashleigh has
moved 4,000 kilometres from home, leaving her parents and siblings to achieve
her dream of becoming a medical practitioner. She commenced her studies at
Notre Dame in Fremantle in mid-2016 and resides at the Notre Dame community
campus in Fremantle meeting her basic living expenses from a youth allowance
from Centre Care, falling within the Australian Taxation Office criteria of being
a “necessitous” recipient of a
scholarship.
Ashleigh is reading Biomedical Science to
provide her with necessary fundamental knowledge that is useful in medical
school. Studying at Notre Dame has also enabled her to coincide any scientific
studies with theological, philosophical and ethical studies.
Ashleigh is described by one of the
Professors at Notre Dame as a person who has demonstrated considerable courage
and determination by moving away from home as a school leaver to follow her
dream. “She has managed this difficult transition exceptionally well,” he
writes, “maintaining an outstanding academic record during her studies with 12
high distinctions and two distinctions in the past three semesters.”
Ashleigh exemplifies the Catholic ethos of
the University of Notre Dame and is deeply committed to community service as an
active member of the Notre Dame volunteer network. Since arriving in Western
Australia, she has volunteered in numerous ways including as a ward volunteer
on the geriatric ward at Royal Perth Hospital and also as an event volunteer
for the Starlight Foundation. In 2018 she will be acting as a student
ambassador for the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle and will also be an
iTrack Mentor for the Smith Family Foundation.
“Medicine is my vocation,” Ashleigh writes,
“and coming to Notre Dame was my calling. I truly love it here because it
embodies the Catholic morale and faith that I have instilled within me.”
