Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Harding Miller Education Foundation

Steve McGHIE (Melton) (10:45): Last month I was invited to attend the Harding Miller Education Foundation’s awards night for the second time, but this time it was different to previous years because it was the very first year that students from Melton were receiving scholarships. The Harding Miller Education Foundation is an Australian charity that supports high-potential but socio-economically disadvantaged girls across Australia through a $20,000 scholarship over four years of their high school. Their program gives the girls a laptop in the first year, IT support, high-speed internet, online tutoring, uniforms, textbooks and school excursions, and each scholar has a personal mentor and coach who supports and guides them through the last four years of their high school education.

Melton’s three recipients were Aaliyah Berry from Kurunjang Secondary, Charlotte Gauci from Kurunjang Secondary and Holly Carr from Melton Secondary. Each of these students are remarkable in their own way. Aaliyah has shown outstanding academic potential, consistently performing at the top of her class, and has been accepted into the Victorian high-ability program. Charlotte’s academic achievements were illustrated through her most recent NAPLAN results, achieving above the national average across all subject areas. Holly also achieved high NAPLAN results, demonstrating incredible academic achievement, and has also participated in the Victorian high-ability program. These three young women are pioneers for Melton’s public education and exemplify the incredible students we have in our schools. It is a credit to not only the girls themselves but Kurunjang Secondary and Melton Secondary colleges’ teachers, who are able to get the best out of their students. Well done to them, and I wish them very well throughout their education.