“Without the AIEF Scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to go to Knox and I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
Bill is a proud Wiradjuri man from Temora in regional NSW now living on Gadigal land in Sydney. The middle of three brothers, he began boarding at Knox Grammar School on an AIEF Scholarship in Year 7.
Describing the experience of attending Knox as “life-changing”, Bill was involved in all facets of school life from academics to sport and cultural activities. In Year 12, Bill came back from an injury to make the first XV Rugby team as well as the winning NSW 2nds and CAS 2nd teams. At the same time, he also regularly participated in traditional dance including a milestone performance as the opening act of the Knox Centenary.
“Performing at the Knox Centenary was very special for me,” says Bill. “To show off my culture and my gratitude for my culture and have this represented in song and dance was incredible.”
Bill admits that he was “more interested in mates and footy” before he entered his senior school years and honed in on a love of Economics which he’s now studying in a combined Economics/Law degree at university. He believes attending boarding school during his formative years gave him a strong foundation for the future.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities for Aboriginal students at Knox through the support of AIEF,” says Bill. “I’m the first on my Dad’s side to go to university and from Mum’s side only a few people have gone before. It’s a great feeling to be able to represent my family.”
Bill is pictured at far right alongside his fellow AIEF Year 12 graduates.