The school announced the scholarship recipients at its annual TOP Scholarship Assembly on Friday, December 3.
Each student selected received $500 to contribute to their educational future.
“This program ensures that children have the opportunity to shine, irrespective of their background, or postcode,” assistant principal Brendan Kenna said.
“It is very humbling to know that most of our sponsors do not know the child they have sponsored, yet have committed $500 to the educational future of our children.”
The scholarship money is held in trust by the school and can be accessed by the student for any educational need.
The money will allow a student to go on school camps, or excursions, own their laptops or even just buy a new school uniform.
“Five hundred dollars is a massive deal,” Mr Kenna said.
“It would wipe out their debt for a laptop.
“This is a huge shot in the arm for the school kids and their families.”
The prospective students submitted an application and were interviewed by a panel to assess their eligibility.
They were selected based on school attendance, involvement in school-based activities, work habits and how well they lived the Wilmot Rd Primary School values.
Scholarship recipients
- Domenic Innocenti, Year 4, category of Community Citizenship, sponsored by state Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell.
- Hassan Reza Akbari, Year 4, category of Trades and Technology Studies, sponsored by The Apprenticeship Factory.
- Nathan Betts, Year 4, category of Male Leadership, sponsored by BM Civil Engineers.
- Taneesha Atkinson, Year 5, category of Wanmirr Ambassadorship, sponsored by Ngarrapna Indigenous Education Unit.
- Jayda Webber, Year 4, category of Female Leadership, sponsored by DC and LC Hart Family.
- Mohammad Ali, Year 5, category of Civic Leadership, sponsored by Dawes and Vary Riordan Solicitors Scholarship.
- Mojtaba Alsaber, Year 4, category of Business and Science Studies, sponsored by J. Furphy and Sons.
The parents of scholarship recipients signed a pledge to support their child on their educational journey and provide sponsors with regular updates.
Mr Kenna said this sponsorship program would not only give disadvantaged children access to a quality education, but provide a pathway into careers in local industry.
“(It) is truly a celebration between the close relationships our school community has with the wider business community,” he said.
Mr Kenna said the students had started making contact with their local business sponsors using a variety of digital media.
“The experience provides real-life opportunities to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom and other media,” he said.
“Opportunities to develop long-standing relationships with well-established local businesses that have invested in their future.”
Mr Kenna said Wilmot Rd Primary School aimed to expand this connection with sponsors to include a more direct mentorship to students “to establish additional role models within the business community”.
“This will create another opportunity to inspire children to concentrate on their education — the relationship between the sponsor and the student could be that emotional connection to inspire children to pursue a specific career,” he said.
“It could motivate a child to knuckle down and inspire them to achieve something other than what they may know.”
Mr Kenna has co-ordinated and expanded the TOP Scholarship program, which was started by Wilmot Rd student wellbeing and community relationship co-ordinator Paul Greenwood.
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