The Yalari annual Sydney Fundraising Dinner was held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth last Friday night and current Year 10 Yalari scholar, Tristan Donnelly was award the Herbert Smith Freehills NSW Junior Leadership Award. His commitment to his studies has translated into outstanding results and he has shown what is possible with dedication, a perpetual ‘can do’ attitude and the Yalari core value of excellence. It is wonderful to see Tristan continue to develop his natural ability of positive leadership amongst his First Nations brothers in his school, home and Yalari communities.

YALARI

Yalari is an Indigenous organisation that provides scholarship opportunities for Indigenous students from remote and rural communities. This year, Yalari has 249 students enrolled in 20 of its partner schools across Australia and over 480 alumni. Riverview has partnered with Yalari since 2007 and currently there are 9 Indigenous students on Yalari scholarships at Riverview and 16 alumni who have graduated.

Current Students are:

Billy Ryan-Lousick Year 7 (Wellington NSW)

Eli Mckenzie Year 7 (Maclean NSW)

Kestrel Ebsworth Year 8 (Richmond Hill QLD)

Jed Mercer Year 8 (Redan Victoria)

Willy Kris Year 10 (Moa Island)

Tristan Donnelly Year 10 (Yamba NSW)

Chris Swan Year 11 (Moree NSW)

Misman Kris Year 12 (Moa Island)

Russell Whap Year 12 (Thursday Island)

Many of the Yalari Riverview graduates have gone on to further education and employment and are impacting their communities by working in a variety of roles. These include working as an Agricultural Finance Advisor at the Commonwealth Bank Moree, as a concreter in Terrigal and as an Executive at JLL. One alumni, Ezekiel Billy, has done a full circle and is now working at Riverview as the Indigenous support officer, helping the current students on their journey. The effort has been generously supported by a group of old boys from 1985 and 1986 years as well as current and former parents of boys. The effort started in 2013 and the group has sponsored two Riverview graduates (with one now working in an Aboriginal drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre while the other is studying a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University), with a third now enrolled in year ten at the college. The support for Yalari represents one of the many manifestations of the OIU Riverview bursary program.

Words/Pics (Laura Harvey- Yalari Program)