InspirED 2023 honours our graduating Fogarty UWA Scholars
Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Highlights from the InspirED 2023 event by the Fogarty Foundation
On 26 October 2023, the Fogarty Foundation’s annual InspirED event took place. As always, it was a remarkable occasion as it provided a wonderful showcase of the achievements and potential of the University of Western Australia (UWA) Fogarty Scholars. It featured presentations and discussions on a wide array of topics, including entrepreneurial ventures, social impact initiatives, and inspiring personal journeys. The event also highlighted the Foundation’s commitment to nurturing young talent by empowering Scholars to reach their full potential and so make a positive impact on our society.
A major highlight at the InspirED event was hearing the insights of the UWA Fogarty Scholars. These talented young minds seized their Scholarships as a launchpad for personal and academic growth, with the event providing a platform for them to showcase their accomplishments. From Caleb McKenna who has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia in 2024; to Nicholas Ellison and Lydia Almeida, new medical graduates who aspire to work in regional, rural and remote medicine; and Luke Osborne whose overseas internships helped him find his passion in mathematical finance and financial technology. The talented Emily Roberts and Racheline Tantular round out our six graduates, Emily with her Master of Professional Engineering (Mech Eng) and Racheline with a Bachelor of Philosophy in Music and Asian Studies.
A compelling narrative was skillfully crafted throughout the evening by Caleb Adams, the event’s MC and Vice President of the Fogarty Scholars Association. In his address to the audience, he urged us to reflect on the idea that each person carries their own unique story, which collectively weaves into the broader narrative of our shared history and culture. He left the audience with a thought-provoking question to ponder throughout the evening: “What kind of legacy do you aspire to leave behind?”
Attendees were inspired by keynote speaker Kyle Hoath, who shared his journey from medicine to entrepreneurship. He began by showcasing the positive impact of his project, Oqea, in the field of mental health. Kyle stressed the importance of teamwork and having a support system. When reflecting on legacy in light of Caleb’s question, Kyle concluded that legacies take time to build, and achievements often unfold in surprising ways.
Guests were also fortunate to connect virtually with Lachie McDonald, a Scholar who is now pursuing postgraduate studies at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, as part of a special scholarship opportunity uniquely for UWA Fogarty Scholars. Lachie shared his insightful reflections on his journey as a Fogarty Scholar, emphasising the critical importance of developing digital skills for the future and driving progress in artificial intelligence. He delved into the philosophical underpinnings of AI which served as a compelling reminder to the audience that the intelligence of digital systems is fundamentally shaped by real-world actions and decisions. Lachie’s message concluded with a resounding call to action, highlighting the urgency of our role as active participants in shaping the future. Here again we were reminded of Caleb’s question; “What kind of legacy do you aspire to leave behind?”.
In a special moment during the event, the Jeremy Cheang Award was presented to Shantelle Jeyakumar for her exceptional achievements and her commitment to making a positive impact on her community. Shantelle won the award for her innovative project centered on an educational platform that integrates dental health, women’s health, and financial literacy. What makes this recognition even more special is that Shantelle will receive mentorship from Dr. Marcus Tan, a leading expert in the field. Shantelle’s work steps toward one legacy that she may leave behind; by leveraging emerging digital tools to create equality of information and access.
Thank you to all who attended the InspirED 2023 event, a photo gallery of which is available here. We also encourage you to investigate Kyle’s Oqea and other Scholars’ initiatives.
The UWA Fogarty Scholars program is one of the Foundation’s flagship programs. This program has been instrumental in identifying, supporting, and nurturing exceptional students from various fields. With 10 selected each year and an alumni of over 120 Scholars, this group represents a diverse range of talents, ambitions, and backgrounds, and an inspiring group to follow. To learn more about our Scholars and alumni, visit them here.
The celebratory breakfast hosted by UWA and the Fogarty Foundation on 27 September champions all that has been achieved since the formation of the UWA Fogarty Scholarship Program in 2003.
A recording of the breakfast celebration is available here.
20 years ago, history was made with the commencement of a partnership between the Fogarty Foundation and the University of Western Australia to establish an elite scholarship program for high achieving young Western Australians; the first ever undergraduate scholarship of its kind in Australia. Fast-forward to September 2023 and we are delighted to be celebrating our current scholars, our alumni and our colleagues at UWA.
The celebratory event to mark 20 years of partnership as part of the Scholarship program championed all that has been achieved since its formation in 2003. Dr Annie Fogarty’s speech at the Breakfast gave the opportunity to reflect on the vast achievements of the Fogarty Foundation Scholars and alumni, which includes several global projects, initiatives, and partnerships.
Attendees enjoyed hearing from keynote speaker Rob Scott, Managing Director and CEO of Wesfarmers, reflecting on the importance of a lifelong love for learning, something which drives his passion to continue to grow and achieve.
This celebration was an opportunity for scholars, alumni, staff, and relevant professionals to reflect on the Fogarty Foundation Scholar programme; as well as look forward to further projects, initiatives and collaborations which may grow within this ever-expanding network of notable individuals. A quality seen in all our Scholars and alumni is the passion and drive to excel in their field and make a contribution to society. As the leaders of today – and tomorrow – we look forward to seeing the increasing impact they will make.
This celebration exemplifies the drive by the Fogarty Foundation to drive sustainable change by helping create a brighter future through education, leadership and raising aspirations.
We are grateful to the University of Western Australia for being such a wonderful partner over these two decades and congratulate all our Scholars, past and present, for their efforts and achievements. As the Foundation’s logo suggests, the change we ignite is a ripple, starting with the youth of today and continuing through strong leadership for tomorrow.
The UWA Fogarty Scholars Program has produced an impressive roster of alumni who are leaders in their fields. From doctors and engineers to entrepreneurs and educators, these scholars are making waves and driving positive change worldwide. Their accomplishments stand as a testament to the power of education, leadership, and community engagement.
We hope you made some new connections at our celebratory breakfast. Stay in touch with us through Facebook, LinkedIn and X; and you can also find all our amazing young leaders through our NEW scholar’s database. Please also enjoy our two latest films, one that promotes our Scholarship program and another that provides some insights into the paths of our alumni, which features six of our Scholars who are now living and working elsewhere in the world. Below is a photo gallery from the celebration breakfast.
Fogarty Foundation was a proud partner of TedX Kings Park Youth for its annual event held on Saturday 29 July at the State Theatre in Perth’s CBD. The jam packed event featured several inspiring young speakers, a 30 second idea challenge, talented singers and two short films, including one that was entirely AI generated.
Our wonderful UWA Fogarty Scholars manned our display as part of the Activation Zone, with a four part challenge – created by our Scholars – to complete for those eager to try their hand at spinning the wheel for a prize.
Many thanks to our helpers, Caleb Adams, Mariya Faisal, Lucius Beh, Jake Mawson, Juliet Roux and Jade Wallwork, who shared information with attendees about the upcoming Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference and our UWA Fogarty Scholarships. We were also pleased to promote BOP Industries’ Next Gen Awards 2023, for which the Foundation is sponsoring the six Awards for Western Australia’s youth and educators.
To find out more, visit:
Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference is at : https://fogartyfutures.org/
UWA Fogarty Scholarships can be found at: https://scholars.fogartyfoundation.org.au/ and https://www.scholarships.uwa.edu.au/futurestudents/uwa-fogarty-foundation
Next Gen Awards 2023 info is at: https://www.bopindustries.com/next-gen
TedX Kings Park Youth: https://tedxkingspark.org/event/youth23/
The team at the Foundation are excited to see that ManUP, a venture co-founded by UWA Fogarty Scholar and current FSA President, Haseeb Riaz (Scholar 2017 – ), nominated as a finalist in the Western Australian Council of Social Service, 2023 Community Services Excellence Awards. https://www.wacoss.org.au/news/community-services-excellence-awards-2023-finalists-announced/
ManUP is one of 4 finalists in the “small organisation providing collaborative, innovative or creative programs or services”. Man Up aims to redefine masculinity through workshops and presentations that engage young boys in high school to investigate their ideas of masculine culture, mental health and relationships.
The Awards are a longstanding partnership between the Western Australian Council of Social Service and the Department of Communities WA, with the support of Lotterywest. They recognise and celebrate the work of organisations and individuals in the community services sector, who have demonstrably made a positive difference to people, families, and communities through innovative and creative practice.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 1 May. Fingers crossed!!
We were delighted to see our new alumni Racheline’s (Scholar 2019 to 2022) name included in the impressive list of 24 talented young women released in honour of International Women’s Day by Young Australians in International Affairs. Every year the list recognises, celebrates and promotes the next generation of women achieving success and making an impact in international affairs; whether that be in government, academia, think tanks, the private sector or civil society. Follow this link to read about Racheline and this group of outstanding young people. https://www.youngausint.org.au/post/2023-young-women-to-watch-in-international-affairs
Racheline currently works in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where she develops policy advice for the Prime Minister on immigration, multiculturalism, settlement, and humanitarian programs to achieve the best possible outcomes for new arrivals and the Australian public.
She is the Chief Partnerships Officer of the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership and also directed ‘Where Oceans Meet’ in 2021, a charity concert featuring traditional music of the Indo-Pacific region and music written by composers of Asian descent, with proceeds donated to the Australian Red Cross Global COVID-19 Appeal.
Racheline plays clarinet and speaks Indonesian, Mandarin, and Japanese.
President: Haseeb Riaz
Over the past two years, Haseeb has co-founded a non-for-profit organisation called MAN UP, which aims to redefine masculinity through workshops and presentations that engage young boys in high school to investigate their ideals of masculine culture, mental health and relationships.
Haseeb has enjoyed his start to medicine, developing a passion for eye health, especially in a rural setting. He is also excited to be elected as the Fogarty Scholars’ Association President, who in this role will join the Fogarty Foundation Board of Trustees in 2023.
Vice Presdent: Caleb Adams
Caleb is studying a double degree in Mathematics & Statistics, and Chemical Engineering. Caleb is an active member of the St Catherine’s College community and continues to volunteer with additional organisations.
In 2022, Caleb was Funding Officer for the Futures Committee that organises the Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference for secondary high school students. In this role he brought a considerable financial boost to the event which allowed regional students – representing 20% of attendees – to be supported to attend.
Treasurer: Chelsea Francis
Chelsea completed her honours dissertation in the field of population health with the cardiovascular epidemiology research group at UWA.
Her dissertation focussed on cardiac troponin testing with the hope that the research will contribute to medical decision making in the assessment of chest pain in emergency departments.
Chelsea has also served as the Treasurer of the Fogarty Scholars Association for several years.
Secretary: Emma Bond
Emma has taken on the role of Secretary after being FSA President in 2022. Last year was also a significant year for her as she spent semester 2 studying at the National University of Singapore. A highlight of the experience was making friends from around the world and learning about their culture. Emma performed with the NUS Symphony Orchestra at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and swam in the Singapore University Games and the Major Games Qualifier. Emma had the opportunity to do her exchange under a Westpac Asian Exchange Scholarship; and thoroughly enjoyed the leadership program which focussed on how Australia can effectively engage with Asia.
Emma has also been elected President of the UWA Student Sports Council for 2023 and looks forward to working with all the diverse UWA sporting entities to further the objective of enhancing the UWA student experience.
Communications Director: Phoebe Dyson
This year, Phoebe is excited to be completing her second semester on exchange in the United Kingdom. At the completion of her undergraduate degree, she hopes to continue her studies within the Juris Doctor program.
Phoebe was the Marketing Officer for the 2022 Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference which allowed her to apply her marketing knowledge to help promote the conference to young leaders across Western Australia. She was also the 2022 Communications Officer on the Bachelor of Philosophy Union Committee.
General Representatives:
Shantelle Jeyakumar
Shantelle is passionate about empowering diverse communities, finding her place in the UWA Women’s Department as the Women of Colour Collective Convenor. She is also a mentor for We Are Womxn, an organisation dedicated to promoting positive conversations about taboo female topics.
Shantelle continued to deepen her connection to the Fogarty community as a first-year representative of the Fogarty Scholars Association (FSA) – a role that allowed her to learn more about how the Committee operates. She was a co-convenor for the 2022 Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference and looks forward to being a contributing member of the FSA in 2023.
Pooja Ramesh
Cultural and community-oriented activities have always played an instrumental role in Pooja’s life. She has been involved in Anandadhara WA – an ensemble that embraces diversity and the traversal of cultural boundaries – and is a member of the ASEANAustralia Strategic Youth Partnership Digital Events team.
Pooja has also enjoyed participating in programs such as Teach Learn Grow and as a mentor and judge for the Lions Youth of the Year program. Pooja hopes to share her passion for education, music, and community widely, inspiring others to realise their potential and role as an active citizen. Pooja was awarded the New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant and undertook a Virtual Public Health Study Tour in December 2020 as part of the Grant.
First Year Representatives:
Juliet Roux: Juliet graduated from Perth Modern School in 2022 with a Certificate of Distinction and the School subject award for Literature. She contributed to her school community as a House Captain and as a violinist in the Senior Symphony Orchestra.
Juliet’s current area of interest lies in policy and diplomacy. In particular, she is interested in investigating the emerging presence of technology and intelligence within the judicial system. She is excited by the prospect of an exchange semester during her studies to broaden her knowledge in this field.
Jade Wallwork: Jade grew up in the Wheatbelt town of Corrigin. She attended St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School on a boarding scholarship.
On graduating in 2022, she received the Lynne Thompson Prize for Humanities and Social Sciences and the subject prizes for Media and Modern History ATAR.
In 2022, Jade won the ABC’s national Heywire competition for the Great Southern region. She was invited to speak on ABC radio about the struggles she experienced living in rural Western Australia. Jade has a passion for filmmaking, and her ATAR media short film was selected for screenings at several film festivals, including the SWAN Perth International Women in Film Festival, and shortlisted at the Bond University Film and Television Awards. She can’t wait to continue to explore her passions by becoming involved in creativity-based clubs at UWA.
The Foundation joined with the Executive of UWA at the start of the new semester to welcome the eight, 2023 UWA Fogarty Scholars at the annual breakfast held at St Catherine’s College on 3 March.
This year the State’s highest achieving students include Jessica Doan who was awarded the UWA Fogarty Beazley Medallist Scholarship. Together with current Fogarty Scholars and Alumni the new Scholars were formally welcomed to the prestigious program.
The 2023 UWA Fogarty Foundation Scholarship recipients are:
- Lucius Beh (Perth Modern)
- Jessica Doan (Perth Modern)
- Mariya Faisal (Lynwood Senior High)
- Sienna Hanikeri (Presbyterian Ladies College)
- Jake Mawson (Lake Joondalup Baptist)
- Nicholas Ng (Christ Church Grammar School)
- Juliet Roux (Perth Modern)
- Jade Wallwork (St Mary’s Anglican Girls School)
In 2023 we mark the 20th year of partnership with UWA, under which the Scholarships were established. The Scholarships are offered to the State’s brightest and most committed students, who receive a full scholarship for the entirety of their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Scholars are selected based on their academic excellence and outstanding achievements in leadership, community involvement, enterprise, the arts and/or sport.
“By empowering and enriching our high performing students, we are encouraging them to shine, and use their vision and direction to enable positive change in society,” explained Caitlyn Embley, Executive Director of the Fogarty Foundation.
“We need innovative and inspiring leaders and businesses in WA, which is why the UWA Fogarty Foundation Scholarships continue to be a key element of the Foundation’s work,” she said.
UWA Fogarty Foundation Scholars are provided with $10,000 per annum to assist in university tuition, accommodation and general living expenses. They participate in a tailored leadership and enterprise program, academic mentoring, leadership opportunities, support for initiatives and they become valued members of the Scholars and Alumni network.
The Scholarships are available for Undergraduate and post graduate study at UWA and Scholars wishing to pursue postgraduate studies in specialist areas are also able to be supported, in partnership with Australian National University (ANU), to undertake their studies at ANU in Canberra.
Since 2004, the scholarships have educated and supported 187 outstanding young people who are now contributing to their communities, our State and our nation. The UWA Fogarty Foundation Scholarship Program is one of Australia’s premier scholarship programs. You can read about some of the exceptional Scholars at fogartyfoundation.org.au.
In today’s globalised world, leadership and communication skills are not only desired, but increasingly required by employers. Workshops at the conference will give students the tools to become leaders of their communities and identify which communication strategies work most effectively for them.
Throughout the conference, students will be involved in a number of exercises that aim to challenge them to understand their own beliefs and motivations. Goal-setting activities and self-reflection will encourage students to think introspectively and realise areas in which they can improve as global citizens.
Presentations from community leaders in Western Australia will inspire Futures attendees to think outside of their comfort zone and take on a challenge to improve a social issue that resonates with them. A Politicians Panel will interview State and Federal politicians to find out how they are addressing these societal problems.
While Futures promotes attendees to think big, action on a global scale starts at a grassroots, community level. With a social issue in mind, the conference will focus on how students are able to become more involved in community-based leadership.
The Fogarty Futures Leadership Conference will be held from 29 September to 2 October 2020, for Year 10 & 11 students. The conference combines exciting workshops with incredible speakers, endeavouring to inspire WA’s youth to be leaders in their communities.
To apply, visit https://fogartyfutures.org/apply/
Email: admin@fogartyfutures.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/futuresconference
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fogartyfutures/
Charlie Singleton
2018 Futures attendee – Methodist Ladies’ College, Year 11
“The conference was a really great experience which helped me to refine my leadership skills and future goals. It was a unique opportunity to meet a group of young people who could inspire each other with their diverse perspectives.”
Eva Marsh
2017 Futures attendee – Presbyterian Ladies College, Year 11
“Futures was a great way to meet and get to know, not only other amazing people my age from all different schools and backgrounds with different goals in life, but also older UWA students who had amazing advice to give. I found the experience really valuable in helping me to discover my purpose and felt that all of the activities really flowed well into this common goal.”
The Fogarty Foundation is proud to welcome the 2019 UWA Fogarty Scholars to the program.
The UWA Fogarty Scholarship Program, a joint investment between the Fogarty Foundation and the University of Western Australia, is one of Australia’s premier programs, offering a generous scholarship for the entirety of an undergraduate degree, including honours and a further contribution towards postgraduate studies.
This year, 10 new scholarships were awarded to the State’s highest-achieving students. Scholars are selected based on academic excellence and outstanding achievements in leadership, community involvement, the arts or sport.
This years scholars are Benjamin Caulfield (Perth Modern School), Chelsea Francis (Methodist Ladies College), Elsa Fuentes-Hare (Melville Senior High), Eva Marsh (Presbyterian Ladies College), Caleb McKenna (Warwick Senior High School), Charlotte Owens (Methodist Ladies College), Henry Pemberton (Christ Church Grammar School), Pooja Ramesh (Perth Modern School), Racheline Tantular (Perth Modern School), and Zeke Tinley (Bunbury Senior High School).
The new scholars join a growing cohort of 148 Fogarty Scholars and Alumni, who continue to achieve outstanding results in academics, entrepreneurship’s and social endeavours. Many Fogarty Scholars have gone on to receive further scholarships including 5 Rhodes Scholars, 2 Sir John Monash Scholars, 2 Fullbright Scholars and 1 Westpac Future Leaders scholar. They have also gone on to create successful initiatives such as Bloom Lab, WASTV, Futuristic, Teach Learn Grow and Bibliotech.