Page 4 - Luce 2016

N ews a nd Events

Primed for success

Shelley Roberts, Director of Development,
catches up with two of our outstanding recent
graduates.

Rebecca Duke (2012)
Rhodes Scholarship for Victoria 2016
Rob Snelling (2014)
Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship 2017
Let’s go back to when you began your studies at Melbourne
Uni. Why did you choose JCH? What was your experience
of College life?
Rebecca: I chose JCH because of its academic reputation
primarily, as well as its reputation as a small, family-like
community. I had left Bendigo at 16 for full-time ballet training Initially I wasn’t going to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship,
in Melbourne and Sydney and I did my Year 12 studies living but Dr Powell persuaded me – I wouldn’t have done it but for
independently here in Melbourne. I had found it a challenge, him. I went to his office to discuss post-grad courses and told
managing without any real support. So JCH felt like the first him I had decided not to apply. I had preconceptions about
real home I had after leaving home so young. JCH offered me many things. Was it ok for me to be a woman (women were
so much more than just accommodation. It was a home with only admitted after 1970!)? Was it ok for me to be gay? Was
like-minded people and it was OK to be academic – that was it ok for me to have taken a very unusual academic pathway,
celebrated in a way I hadn’t found before. I felt as though I unlike the stereotypes of lawyers and doctors? He understood
had found ‘my people’. my doubts and concerns but encouraged me to ‘give it a go’
regardless.
I was studying for a Bachelor of Arts majoring in psychology.
Academically, JCH was completely formative in terms of the I hope that where I am now will reassure students who can
support I got there – from tutors and staff. They were really identify with that immense pressure to ‘achieve’. I know now
interested in me and my development. I always felt ‘known’ that it’s all about feeling confident enough to choose where to
and that made a real difference. put one’s energy and develop as an individual.

Arts and culture and sport are all very important to me. I Rob: My time at JCH was incredibly valuable in helping me
loved the culture around sport at JCH: sport there is not all understand myself and what kind of life I aspired to. Those
about winning. I took up rowing and I loved the discipline two years at College were my most formative to date; they
of early training and the team spirit. On the arts side, I set helped me understand my capabilities and they provided me
up a reading group called Readings. We’d share and discuss with a safe environment to understand who I wanted to be.
excerpts from poetry or prose every week.
Being surrounded by tutors passionate about their work
Rob: Having grown up in Sydney, I felt I wanted a change inspired me to think critically about what kind of life I could
from my high school years and decided to move to JCH strive for and what steps I needed to take to work towards it.
in 2014. I started a Bachelor of Environments, majoring When I heard about the scholarship, I felt this would be an
in environmental engineering systems. However, like all excellent way to continue on this journey and dive further into
JCHers, academic study was only one part of my university my passion for the built environment.
experience. At College I threw myself into every opportunity I
could, starting as a member of a few subcommittees and later Tell us about your scholarship and what it will mean for you.
being involved in the play, debating and theatre-sports.
Rob: Now in its second year, the Westpac Bicentennial
Towards the end of the year I wanted to give back to the Foundation is offering 100 scholarships annually across five
community, doing so through the role of Vice-President of the programs. Across these scholarships is a focus on three areas:
Student Club. It was an incredible experience to play a part in technology & innovation, strengthening Australia-Asia ties
shaping JCH’s culture and that year was the most formative in and enabling positive social change. The Westpac Future
terms of my leadership development. Leaders Scholarship is one of the five programs, supporting
postgraduate study in Australia in these focus areas. Nationally
How did your experience of living at JCH influence you and 22 scholarships were awarded in 2017, each valued at up to
your decision to apply for the scholarship? $120,000 over 2-3 years.
Rebecca: At JCH I’d internalised a sense that it was ok to Through this program I will be studying a Master
spend my time and energy on the things that are important to of Architectural Engineering, combining a focus on
me, and it gave me the confidence to say ‘no’ to things. JCH environmental sustainable design with a community-inclusive
celebrates being comfortable within yourself and having the design process. The scholarship itself is full of opportunity
strength of character to make choices that are right for you, and is very flexible. For all scholars there is a nine-month
showing you that you don’t need to conform to the mould that leadership program in conjunction with Sydney University,
peer pressure might otherwise force you into. UNSW & ANU.

4 LUCE Number 15 2016