On Thursday 9th September 2021 we had the honour of celebrating our 2021 graduating cohort; 35 secondary scholars, 7 tertiary scholars and 5 enabling course participants.
The graduation dinner and awards ceremony was kindly hosted by Guildford Grammar School with our very own MADALAH tertiary scholar and mentor, Keshi Moore, as MC for the evening.
The evening started with an inspiring Welcome to Country by Dr Richard Walley, the WA 2021 senior Australian of the year. Dr Walley performed an outstanding welcome to country and even brought along a custom sliding didgeridoo to give an awe-inspiring performance.
We also had entertainment provided by our very own South Summit throughout the evening, performing incredible sets, showing just how far they have come. It was especially special for South Summit to be there alongside Nehemiah as he was a 2021 graduate himself!
Our graduates, staff and corporate partners then enjoyed a delicious buffet, followed by the presentation of graduation certificates. The graduating scholars also received a beautiful journal, designed using artwork from two of our current scholars Grace Dimer and Monty Petterson.
We had four very special awards to present to our scholars who had excelled in sport, academia, leadership and the arts.
Rory Charles was the recipient of the Service & Leadership Award. Rory continually demonstrates excellence in both entertainment & the arts and service & leadership. Rory worked on multiple items for the auction at this year’s MADALAH Ball raising $20,000 for us alone and he is a strong leader in Trinity College’s Indigenous Program. Rory has also attended both our 2020 and 2021 Youth Leadership Summits.
Tyrell Stewart from Christ Church Grammar was the recipient of the Sporting Excellence Award for his exemplary effort in pursuing his chosen sport throughout the past six years. Tyrell is the first Indigenous Australian to be given a baseball scholarship to study in the USA. Unfortunately Tyrell couldn’t be with us on the night as he is already achieving success in the USA; this award was presented by football legend Dale Kickett.
Nehemiah Reuben was the recipient of the Entertainment & The Arts Excellence Award. This is a special award created in memory of Ningali Lawford Wolf who was a champion of the Arts & Education and a MADALAH Ambassador. Nehemiah is a member of two bands and has played at the MADALAH Orientation Day, MADALAH Ball, The Water Corporation MADALAH Partnership Launch Event and for IGO Limited. He has shown great passion and enthusiasm for music and has done so his entire time at Trinity College, also performing at multiple Trinity College events, including NAIDOC and College Presentation Night.
Paige Littlefair was the recipient of the Academic Excellence Award which was truly highlighted in her outstanding results. Paige always contributes to class discussions and continually applied herself to all ATAR courses. She has consistently produced work of a high standard and has represented Nagle Catholic College over the years in WA School Debating Competitions, where she has been the winner of her category. This particular award was sponsored by IGO and it was lovely to have Joanne McDonald join us and present Paige with this award personally.
Following the awards and numerous photo opportunities, dessert was served and South Summit performed their final set for the evening.
A core belief at MADALAH is that education is the key to generational change and opportunity, and to making a difference in the lives of our scholars, their families, and communities. It was wonderful to see three of our graduates, Rose, Kacey & Jackson reflect on their education journey, the opportunities they have had and what they have learnt; applying this to their new journey ahead. Special thank you to Guildford Grammar School for hosting the graduation dinner & awards ceremony for 2021.
The event was a wonderful celebration for all who attended and we look forward to seeing where our graduates head to next!
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