A gathering of over 100 school and business leaders in Sydney on the 14^th November 2011 saw Kerry Jukes, Andrew Jukes and John Teer, CFO & COO of KPMG, proudly announce the two national winners of the Doug Jukes Memorial Scholarship for 2011.  Linda Chan of Cabramatta High School in New South Wales and Peter Stojcevski of Lalor Secondary College in Victoria, as well as family members and school principals were present to accept their awards.

Both students were chosen based on their academic ability and their likelihood of finishing Year 12 and entering tertiary education, as well as their personal circumstances and future aspirations. The selection panel also considered these students most likely to benefit from mentoring support and financial assistance.

Linda’s family came to Australia as Cambodian refugees escaping from the Khmer Rouge. Linda’s father did not have the chance to access any type of education under that regime. “Migrating to Australia and having no qualifications at all because of the lack of education he received, it was hard for him to get a job with an income he desired. Regardless of that, I believe my father has given the best he can as a single parent in a complex world.”

Linda is a hard working and committed student. She is always willing to try and willing to learn anything her teachers can throw at her. “I aim as high as I can and get marks above average for most subjects. My future is now right around the corner as I head towards senior school.”

A gas explosion at the age of two injured and scarred Linda and this has definitely impacted her decision making for career choices. “The accident has made me want to help out people in the world who are experiencing hardships in their lives. Spreading the joy and helping people that are in need would make my life feel so meaningful.”

Peter lives in Melbourne with his mother and twin sister. The hardships that he and his family have endured have shaped him into a mature and compassionate person. “I am genuinely considerate of others and am able to empathise with people who are struggling.”

Peter’s passion lies in the fields of business and commerce as well as legal studies and he wishes to pursue these areas in tertiary education. “My vision for the future is to become a corporate lawyer, advocating fair business practices and supporting small business in their endeavour to succeed.”

The Doug Jukes Scholarship will provide a degree of financial stability for Peter and his family. “The security the scholarship provides will be immense in helping me pursue and achieve my ambitions in life. The mentoring support associated with the scholarship will open up a new world to me. I believe that it will not only help me academically, but also personally, through the encouragement mentoring will provide.”

The scholarship money will be paid to the students in instalments through the schools and will be spent on items such as school fees, extra tuition and other resources to prepare them for further education.

Due to the high calibre of applications the scholarship fund announced state awards to New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia students. In addition, a special commendation award was granted to Jasmin Manoilovski of Lalor Secondary College in Victoria.

National Winners:

Linda Chan

Peter Stojcevski

State Winners:

NSW:    Mounira Derbass – Granville South Creative and Performing Arts High School

QLD:      Blaise Tshitenga – Yeronga State High School

VIC:        Maria Soteriou – Preston Girls Secondary College

WA:       Linda Mulenda – Mirrabooka Senior High School