STAR

Aleksandra Markovic

Aleksandra is currently a Juris Doctor Candidate at Melbourne Law School and a residential scholar at Ormond College. Through Western Chances, she completed a policy fellowship with Global Voices where she attended virtually the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference. She also published a policy paper focused on improving sexual harassment policies in Australian workplaces. Engaging with various volunteering initiatives such as sitting on the Tribunal for the Western Football Netball League, Aleksandra wants to ensure other young people in the west also have every opportunity to reach their potential. 

Becky Su

Billy Chen

Billy's journey with Western Chances began in 2020 when he received his first scholarship while in year 9 at Melbourne High School. He completed his VCE studies in 2023 and is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts at The University of Melbourne. As a scholarship recipient, Billy has taken on several Western Chances sponsored activities including VCE Summer School as well as scholarships provided by Trinity College and the Dafydd Lewis Trust.

Billy is an active member of his community and is currently serving as a member of the Victorian Youth Congress where he has the privilege of providing advice to the Victorian Government about matters relating to young people. Billy was also the Chair of Brimbank Youth Council in 2023, where he chaired formal meetings with councillors, developed a student motivation project and participated in co-designing the Brimbank City Council’s Youth Jobs Strategy 2024-2029 and Final Draft Annual Action Plan (Year 3). Billy is eager to improve outcomes and drive change for young people in Melbourne’s west through the STAR program and his community involvement. 

Celia Tran

Celia Tran is an experienced policy and communications professional. She is an executive member of the Vietnamese Community in Australia (Vic), and member of the advisory board of the Dual Identity Leadership Program and Harmony Alliance – Australia’s peak body for refugee and migrant women. A strong human rights advocate, Celia’s awards include the 2015 Victorian Multicultural Commission Ambassador Award for Multicultural Excellence, the 2016 Australia Day Maribyrnong City Council Youth Leadership Award and the 2016 Premier’s Volunteer of the Year, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Award. Celia joined the Western Chances board in April 2016.

Chantelle Suntovski

Chantelle received her first Western Chances Scholarship in 2020 while in year 10 at Copperfield College. She completed her VCE studies in 2022 and is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at Latrobe University, aspiring to pursue neuroscience research. Throughout her academic journey, Chantelle has been passionately involved in student leadership and the SRC and hopes to improve the lives of young children to aspire and reach their potential through the Western Chances Program.

Edward Le

Edward was awarded his first Western Chances scholarship in 2020 during his School Captaincy term at Suzanne Cory High School. He is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne and was a residential scholar at Trinity College in 2022. He has been recognised for his contribution to the community by the university through gaining scholarships, awards, and a published article.

Beyond his academic journey, Edward works as a Project Officer, Administrative Officer, Finance Broker Support, Private Tutor, Workshop Facilitator, Freelance Graphic Designer, and Manager at an entertainment company. In addition, he volunteers for various programs both within and outside the university, including his role as a Peer Mentor, Volunteer Tutor, and Executive role as Treasurer of a university-affiliated organisation. With a passion for making a positive contribution to the lives of others, Edward hopes to fulfill a career that strives for equitable outcomes after completing his studies.

Jack Oliver

Jack is in his third year studying Psychology at the University of Melbourne. He received his first scholarship in 2019 for excellence in the performing arts. He is now a non-resident at Ormond College and a Dafyyd Lewis scholar. Jack has always valued leadership and giving back; he enthusiastically accepted an invitation to be the Master of Ceremonies for the 2024 Western Chances Scholarship Award Ceremony.

As a student from a disadvantaged financial background, Jack has always emphasised the importance of resilience and compassion. He has a dream to make a positive impact in the mental health sector, especially where mental health services are less accessible. Jack believes that achieving this starts with inspiring young people to overcome their barriers and realise their potential. 

Jemmah Nix

Jemmah is a Western Chances Alumni who received her first scholarship in 2015 as a Hoppers Crossing Secondary College student. She received 7 Western Chances Scholarships and was nominated and successful in obtaining a prestigious Mary Jane Lewis Scholarship for her Bachelor of Nursing, which she completed at Deakin University. She is now a Registered Nurse at Western Health and is completing her post-graduate specialisation in Emergency Nursing with the University of Melbourne. Jemmah loves the unknown and constant challenges that her job in emergency provides her with and hopes to make significant positive differences to people who are seeking healthcare in the Western Suburbs. 

Julie Alkarra

Julie is a Western Chances Alumni, who is currently working as a Pharmacist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She received her first WC scholarship in 2017 as a tertiary student. Through Western Chances, Julie received a full residential scholarship at Janet Clarke Hall in 2021, she was also the first recipient of the Lynne Wannan Award. Julie graduated from Monash University in 2021 with Bachelor's (honours) and Master's degree in pharmacy.  

Julie’s passion lies in healthcare, she aims to improve the public health system for the Australian community. 

Katharine Nikolic

Katharine received her first Western Chances scholarship when she was in Year 11 at Sunshine College. While at school, she attended the Trinity College Young Leaders Program, which was her first learning experience at The University of Melbourne. Katharine completed a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations & Media and Communications) at The University of Melbourne in 2017. Katherine also completed a Masters of International Relations at Melbourne University, with a particular interest in the study of civil war and migration, and hopes to eventually work in public policy.

Leesa Ward

Leesa received her first scholarship from Western Chances for her Year 12 VET Multimedia studies, and received scholarships through her TAFE studies in graphic arts, multimedia and information technology. While studying at TAFE Leesa started her freelance business, Double-E Design, and went on to also work as a web developer in multiple agencies and as a TAFE teacher before moving into the world of enterprise web application development. Leesa currently works as a front-end software engineer at Atlassian, is furthering her education at Deakin University, and is grateful for Western Chances’ support to progress in her new career specialty through the Pursuit Awards.   

Lien To

Lien received her first Western Chances scholarship in 2015 and became the first in her family to graduate from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce. During her time as a recipient, Lien was actively involved in several Western Chances sponsored opportunities, such as Spark Engineering, Trinity's Young Leaders Program and Ormond College. Lien now works as a Manager at YLab, a social impact consultancy, where she is enthusiastic about promoting social cohesion that empowers young people to engage in collaborative conversations. She is dedicated to creating more opportunities for scholarship recipients through the STAR program and finding different ways support others on their journey.

Patrick Phung

Patrick received his first Western Chances scholarship when he was in Year 11 at Melbourne High School in 2018. Through this scholarship, it supported his co-curricular endeavours in piano, state swimming, and Victorian and Trans-Tasman waterpolo competitions. It has also afforded him the opportunity to be involved in the Western Chances pilot internship program, which resulted in him currently working as a Project Support Officer at Homes Victoria. Patrick completed his Bachelor of Biomedicine (Physiology) and is also currently undertaking a Master of Public Health at the University of Melbourne. 

Beyond his academic studies, Patrick is an avid volunteer with a strong passion in youth engagement and empowerment. He is an active member of his community, where he takes up the role of Treasurer at the Maribyrnong Youth Advisory Committee and Health and Safety Representative at his workplace.  

With a keen interest in equity and health promotion, Patrick hopes to create inclusive opportunities that empower young people to achieve their aspirations through Western Chances. 

Tom Nguyen

Tom was awarded his first Western Chances Scholarship during his final year at Melbourne High School in 2018. The scholarship supported him through his studies at the University of Melbourne where he studied the Bachelor of Science (Neuroscience) and currently studies the Doctor of Medicine. He was also a Dafydd Lewis scholar, Trinity Residential scholar and a recipient of the Dr Susan Lim Medical Scholarship.  

He is passionate about the local community and volunteered with the Rotary Club, student-run organisation Vietnamese Student Association and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Outside of academia, he is a keen tennis player and works as a tutor and IT consultant.

Wasi Abidi

Wasi received his first Western Chances scholarship in 2018 and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Information Technology at RMIT University, specialising in Data Science. His dedication to using technology, particularly in Data & AI, aims at learning how to find solutions for societal and environmental issues. Awards and scholarships have recognised Wasi's academic excellence and his determination to apply his technical expertise to impactful contributions.

Actively participating in community services, he mentors at Spark Engineering Camp and Lord Somers ATLAS Camp and leads environmental cleanup initiatives. His internship at Yarra Trams allowed him to apply data-driven skills toward strategic analysis and foster collaborations with not-for-profit organisations. Wasi is committed to pushing the boundaries of technology to create practical, positive changes, aspiring to lead in the field of Data & AI. 

Vu Long Tran

Vu Long Tran is a product consultant at the technology consultancy, Mantel Group. He received his first Western Chances scholarship in 2012 whilst in year 9 at Melbourne High School. He was supported until 2018 when he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Melbourne. Long is fiercely passionate about youth empowerment, grassroots community development and the power of education. He has spent considerable time volunteering across a range of NFPs like The Australian Red Cross, Doxa Youth Foundation, The Vietnamese Community in Australia, The Centre for Multicultural Youth, Trinity College, The Skyline Education Foundation and The Dual Identity Leadership Program.

He hopes to further grow the impact of Western Chances for its young scholars and create a connection between the current recipients and the scholarship alumni. Long joined the STAR sub-committee in 2019 and the Western Chances Board in 2021.