Image shows L-R: Principal Wayne Erickson; St Andrew’s College Medallist Lachlan Zhou; Professor Mark Scott AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney. Image credit: www.fancyboy.com.au
The College’s annual University and Schools Dinner was held on Thursday 26 May to acknowledge the remarkable academic success of St Andrew’s students during 2021.
Guests, students and College members gathered to celebrate the results of our hard-working Androvians on this memorable occasion.
We were delighted to welcome Professor Mark Scott AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney to his first St Andrew’s University & Schools Dinner, and thank him for presenting the major awards. Also in attendance were former Chair of Council Charlie Taylor (Fr 1982) and Councillor Ian Jackman SC (Fr 1981) who gave the toast to the University.
After the Acknowledgement of Country by Charlotte Tregonning (Fr 2022), the audience was treated to the customary Ode to a Haggis, musical performances from the St Andrew’s College Chamber Ensemble and Jazz Band, as well as several entertaining toasts from our guests and students.
In his speech, Principal Wayne Erickson paid tribute to the twenty Androvians who achieved First Class Honours in 2021, and particularly to two students.
The first was Elysee Dubois, who won the University Medal for her Honours thesis detailing the internationalization patterns and performance of Australian and European Fintech start-ups.
The second was Bianca Cully-Duse, who won the only University Medal awarded by the faculty of business, agriculture, science and law at the University of New England, for her Honours thesis in Science. Bianca is pursuing her doctorate this year at the University of Sydney, researching the pathways towards discovery of a more effective vaccine for cystic fibrosis patients. Principal Erickson said:
“We’re delighted to be able to acknowledge ‘at home’ these very significant achievements. Please join me in congratulating these outstanding scholars.”
The full listing of awards can be seen here in the official event program. Listed are the Androvians who appear on the 2021 University Honour Roll, including University Medallists and those who have been awarded first and second class honours. Also included are recipients of academic merit prizes, Dean’s list of Excellence in Academic Performance and other awards and prizes in various categories. Students who achieved High Distinction and Distinction averages were also recognised. The list demonstrates the diverse talent we have in College across a broad range of academic study, degrees and disciplines.
A special mention to Lachlan Zhou, this year’s St Andrew’s College Medallist who achieved an average mark of 85 over three years of study for a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
The Principal also welcomed members of the College Council, Foundation, Alumni Society and many individual donors, whose leadership in philanthropy has enabled the College to build our scholarships, bursaries and prizes pool to $2m for allocation in 2022. Many students in receipt of individual scholarships were pleased to meet their benefactors at the dinner. Principal Erickson said:
“It is only through this generosity that we are able to provide the most generous financial assistance program per capita in colleges in Australia. Just on two-thirds of this pool is awarded on a means-tested basis; all of it is awarded only to those who are worthy of a place in St Andrew’s on merit. 180 recipients – just on half of the College – receive some form of financial assistance through the program, ranging from $1,000 to full fee relief. This generous support is consistent with the College’s commitment from our earliest days to financial assistance – indeed, the table booklet records the history and longevity of many of these awards.”
The Principal also mentioned one of our significant projects this year: the broadening of our engagement with secondary schools around Australia, to address the ongoing challenge of diversity in this collegiate community. He said:
“We want to give more rural, regional and remote students, indigenous students, those students in necessitous financial circumstances, and students from a more equal blend of government and private school backgrounds the opportunity of the St Andrew’s experience. We want to continue to attract to St Andrew’s, distinctive students, as well as those students from diverse backgrounds.”
We were also delighted to welcome representatives of some of Australia’s finest schools; professors, senior executives, lecturers, tutors and staff from the University; as well as representatives from the University of Sydney Union and Sydney University Sport and Fitness – to celebrate the achievements of their, and our, students.
We congratulate all those students who achieved such impressive results in their university studies. It was a very memorable evening and we thank all those in attendance.
Photographs from the evening can be seen here. Thank you to Fancy Boy Photography.