When I was awarded the Terry Bourke Family Scholarship, I placed pretty much all my hope for a future at Aquinas in it. I felt like my struggle through my personal setbacks to achieve at school were going to have the chance to be rewarded. That my opportunities to make something great out of myself despite my circumstances were still there and even more than before I needed to ensure I made the most of them. Bursaries have the ability to help young boys become the men they dream of being. By donating to the Annual Appeal for Bursaries, you can assist them in overcoming boundaries well outside of their control, so that they can focus upon and tackle the things they can control. Terry Burke will forever hold a very special place in my heart for what he and his family did for me, and anyone who is willing to assist in a similar project could have the same effect on someone else’s education.Dylan Blair ('16)
Dylan came to Aquinas from St Dominic’s Innaloo at the commencement of Year 5. The oldest brother to two younger siblings, Dylan’s childhood was challenging, to say the least. His mother suffered from severe health issues resulting in his parents divorcing while Dylan was still in primary school. Dylan’s father took on the role of sole parent to three children and Dylan continued his Aquinas education, which afforded him a “grounding foundation to support myself in my endeavours and grow past my struggles at home.”
As Dylan approached the start of Year 11, however, his father announced the family could no longer afford to send him to Aquinas. Dylan’s future was on the line – “I was at risk of losing the opportunities I had worked so hard for in academics and sport, not to mention the spiritual aspects of an Aquinas education” – until he was awarded the Terry Bourke Family Scholarship (which provides full fee remission for the last two years of high school). Ever grateful for the chance to continue his Aquinas studies, Dylan made the absolute most of his last two years at school, throwing his energy behind as many academic, cultural, sporting and service opportunities as humanly possible.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of our schools. We are inspired and nurtured by their wisdom, spirituality and experience. We commit ourselves to actively work alongside them for reconciliation and justice. We pay our respects to the Elders; past, present and future. As we take our next step we remember the first footsteps taken on this sacred land.
CRICOS Code: 00428E
