Four young students in Victoria have been awarded AVEPA scholarships at a ceremony held at RMIT University (City campus) in Melbourne.

The non-for-profit organisation, Australia-Vietnam Education Promotion Association (AVEPA), were excited to share the excitement of the announcement of scholarship recipients at the event which began at 5.30pm on Tuesday, March 28.

The AVEPA Scholarship not only funds young talented Australian-Vietnamese individuals who have strong leadership and commitment for community engagement, but also gives a sense of purpose and encouragement for their future.

AVEPA is first and foremost an aspiration and trust that young Vietnamese Australians will make significant contributions to the mainstream society and beyond.

This year, seven talented students in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia were awarded with AVEPA Scholarships.

Professor Nguyen Xuan Thu and former vice chancellor of RMIT University in Melbourne, Emeritus Professor David Beanland, speaks to the guests. (Photo: TiVi Tuan-san)

At the ceremony in Melbourne, the four successful AVEPA scholars were joined by family, friends, AVEPA members and Tivi Tuan-san’s editor-in-chief at the award ceremony.

Emeritus Professor David Beanland addressed the guests with a warm speech in which he recognised the commitment of the young scholars and expressed gratitude to the support of donors on AVEPA’s behalf.

Every young person who attended the ceremony was honoured and proud to have been awarded the scholarship, their family members and friends equally as proud. Listening to the dreams of the young scholars was truly inspiring. (Their speeches are published below this article)

The ceremony was also a great chance for 2016 and 2017 AVEPA students to meet and share their aspirations. Afterwards, guests were treated to light refreshments supported by RMIT University.

Commenting at the ceremony was Dr Thu Nguyen, one of AVEPA’s founders, who hoped that in five years’ time, AVEPA would form an organic network of Australian-Vietnamese young visionary intellectuals.

– Nguyen Kim Quy (AVEPA)

Speech from Alison Huynh

(Photo: TiVi Tuan-san)

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to start by thanking you all for coming here tonight to celebrate the 2017 AVEPA Scholarship Award Ceremony. It is with great pleasure that I am standing and speaking before you today, despite my nerves which may or may not be apparent.

For those who do not know, my name is Alison, and I am one of the few lucky recipients of AVEPA’s Scholarship for 2017. I would like to express my utmost gratitude to AVEPA for the offer, and hope I can make the most out of this partnership to contribute to the wider community.

Now a little bit about myself.  I’m 18, I went to the Mac.Robertson Girls High School and am now studying a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD), previously known as the MBBS course, at Monash University. But these facts about me don’t tell you anything about my aspirations or my goals in life, which is what I have been asked to talk about today.

To start on my aspirations, I would need a bit of context. Unlike the many young student leaders I have met in the past few years, and very much like every other student at this age, I really had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. I was just another regular VCE student, bogged down by Year 12 pressures, not just academically but physically, mentally, socially. It was a long road where difficulties felt never-ending and at the same time, enjoyment seemed to fly by, ending all too quickly and rushing me into deciding what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Or at least that’s how year 12 makes you feel.

I had only vaguely thought about becoming a doctor, and considered just about every other career choice, so you would imagine how worried and concerned my family and I were over my unclear future.

But after seeing my sister suffering from some illness, and experiencing it for myself, during our recent and first trip to Vietnam, I thought about how privileged we are in Australia to have access to high-quality health services that require little to no cost. To have a clinic or hospital a few suburbs, maybe a few streets away from where we live. To have access to these services, and proper medical advice and treatments. These, coupled with my acceptance into the Extended Rural Cohort of Medicine at Monash University, and encouragement from my parents, have inspired me to pursue rural health in Australia and, hopefully, be able to deliver my services to rural and isolated regions in Vietnam, such as my father’s hometown where we sisters fell ill.

For this reason, I think AVEPA’s firm belief in promoting education amongst Vietnamese-Australians is in line with my aspirations in making the most of my education. Through this partnership, I hope to link my Vietnamese heritage and origin with my Australian upbringing and societal values to play my part in both worlds and give back to both communities.

I am entirely grateful to AVEPA for believing in us, the younger generation of both countries, and for having confidence that we will achieve great things. The help that AVEPA provides will hold deeper meaning to us recipients than anyone else in this room; because it is the first step of our journey, and the encouragement that we receive during this time, that is of greatest memory and value to us.

I hope you will all warmly watch over our progress and growth during our studies, above and beyond, and continue to support AVEPA in recognising and empowering young Vietnamese-Australians such as myself in achieving things beyond all our imaginations.

Thank you AVEPA, and thank you all for listening.

Speech from Garry Nguyen

(Photo: TiVi Tuan-san)

Knowing that there are many applicants each year I would first like to thank the generosity of AVEPA for giving me an opportunity to become a recipient of this scholarship. I would also like to extend my appreciation and thanks to my family, especially to my parents and teachers who have provided me with their continual support and belief.

Following the results of my VCE studies, I have gone on to pursue my aspirations in the medical field at the University of Melbourne and undertake the Bachelor of Biomedicine. This course gives me the opportunity to explore and develop an understanding in the rapid and forever growing field of medical sciences.

I hope to one day become a part of a team that provides or develops, world class treatments to help others and ensure everyone gets a chance at a high-quality lifestyle. Ultimately, I want to have a positive impact in society to enhance the lifestyle of people around me and beyond.

To me, AVEPA promotes Vietnamese youths to take responsibility in Australia and get involved. I find this amazing and inspiring as there is no better way to shape the future of Australia, than to show leadership and contribute towards society. The values that AVEPA promote, hardwork, leadership reflect the values that have been embedded in me since young. We need to work hard and be diligent in whatever we do to accomplish what we desire and in doing so, be a role model to those around us to help others along the way.

Again, I would like to thank the AVEPA board and their donors for their kindness. I feel very grateful and honoured to be chosen as recipient.

Speech from Howard Huynh

(Photo: TiVi Tuan-san)

Good evening everyone, my name is Howard and I am currently studying Law/ Science at Monash. First of all, I would like to thank the Avepa committee for giving me this opportunity, I’m very grateful and excited to be here.

Although I am unsure of what the future holds, I know I have a passion for law, technology as well as a desire to help others. I know that these seem to be vastly different to each other at first glance, and people would get confused when I tell them these are what my interests are. This is completely understandable as I too do not know why this is the case. However, I believe that with the rapid advancement of technology, having a background it both law and scientific matters will be beneficial, especially when protecting the rights of an individual against the intrusive capabilities of modern tech. Although this may not seem like a significant issue at the moment, it is something I find interesting and believe it will become a topic of considerable importance. In regards to my desire to help others, I have done various voluntary work, including helping out at the Richmond Lunar Festival earlier this year. I hope to ultimately start my own charity in order to give back to the community and allow those less fortunate to have the same opportunities that I was lucky enough to receive.

Again I would like to thank AVEPA for supporting me, along with all the other young Australian- Vietnamese scholars in our journey; as well as the efforts put in to promote education and raise young leaders of the community. I promise to take full use of this opportunity and ensure I become a valuable member of society, making both AVEPA and our community proud.

Thank you.

Speech from Que Chau Quang

(Photo: TiVi Tuan-san)

My name is Que Chau Quang, and I am very humbled to be a recipient of the 2017 AVEPA Scholarship. I must admit, the news came as a shock to me as I really was not expecting much. Nonetheless, I am very grateful to both the donors and the board for allowing me to have this wonderful opportunity, and am extremely honoured to have the chance to speak before you all tonight.

I am currently studying the Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne with the intention of starting a Diploma in Languages specialising in Japanese next year. Although it means that I will take me an extra year – 4 years in total, to be exact – to complete the Bachelor of Biomedicine, I am prepared to follow through if it means that my efforts will be recognised.

If I were to be asked whether or not I had a clear vision of what I want to do in the future, my answer would be ‘no’. I’m not sure what I want to major in yet, nor can I imagine what I will be doing in 4 years time. As someone who is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, I could study neuroscience and explore autism spectrum disorder development in children and management strategies. I am also considering research into diseases caused by microorganisms to create new vaccines and do an Honours in Microbiology and Immunology, which could lead on to a PhD. While there are a myriad of options available to me, I have not yet found my passion and so my main goal for the next few years is to find my calling through the Bachelor of Biomedicine. Regardless of which career path I eventually take, my desire to improve public health will not waver.

AVEPA holds the strong belief that education, research and innovation will drive this country forward in an era where our main sources of economic growth are fading. As a young Vietnamese-Australian, I believe that youths of the 21st century need to become more conscious of global issues, and to become more proactive members of society to make the world a better place. I am proud of my heritage, no matter how humble it may seem and hope to be able to return the kindness I have received over the years by participating in volunteering.

I give my sincere thanks to the AVEPA for the Scholarship, and look forward to future opportunities to develop as an active member of the wider community alongside other AVEPA scholars and members.

To see more pictures from this event, click here.