Monash University is the ‘home’ of the John and Pauline Gandel Scholarships and also the William Cooper Indigenous Leadership Scholarships, which provide support to promising young students to help them complete their chosen studies.
In December 2023 Monash University shared some exciting news – the Inaugural John Gandel Scholarship recipient, Namik Perera, has completed his Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine degree and was about to participate in the graduation ceremony.
As exciting was the news that Namik will very soon start working as a doctor in a children’s hospital. In his letter to the Gandel family, Namik once said, “I know there is nothing I can ever say to express the gratitude, admiration and love I hold for you in my heart. But I hope you take comfort in the knowledge that a part of your kindness and generosity will be in all the work I do and all the patients I treat. I came to this country seeking only safety, and Melbourne gave me that. But you gave me a future, a choice, agency, and independence. I will always be grateful.”
Stories like Namik’s show the incredible value that university scholarships provide, especially for people who face different or multiple barriers in their lives.
At the graduation Namik was joined by his mother, grandmother and sister.