University Scholarships
Perth Modern School
Many Perth Modern School graduates receive prestigious scholarships to top universities in Australia.
Below some of these students talk about their life after Mod.
Anish Badgeri - Head Boy
Forgarty Scholarship UWA
What programs at Perth Mod were you involved in?
I started in 2008 and graduated in 2012. Over the years I was actively involved in programs such as debating, music, and Student Council. In Year 12 I was elected Head Boy and enjoyed being a part of ensembles such as Phoenix and Schola Cantori.
What did you study after leaving Mod?
I chose to study a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) degree at UWA with majors in Economics and Political Science & International Relations. I also studied a concurrent Diploma of Modern Languages in French. The aim was to then pursue a postgraduate degree in Law.
Did you receive a scholarship to University? If yes what was it and how did it help you academically?
I was offered a Fogarty Scholarship at UWA which exposed me to a fantastic network of motivated and high achieving young people. The Fogarty Program also includes a number of leadership workshops and speaker panels on a diversity of career fields. The scholarship included financial support for course fees and overseas study, and I had the opportunity to learn Mandarin in China and Taiwan.
What did you do beyond University after Mod?
Perth Modern school instilled a strong sense of community and the desire to ‘give back’ and I embodied this in my University years. I continued my passion for debating by coaching teams at Mod as well by serving as President of the WA Debating League in 2017. I was also heavily involved with UN Youth Australia including Convening the UN Youth National Conference in 2017 and being on the National Board of Directors in 2018. Both of these experiences allowed me to travel around Australia to judge events such as the National Debating Championships and National Voice Finals, in addition to running workshops in Alice Springs and Christmas Island.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in education and why did you want to teach at Mod?
The culture of achievement at Mod made me think that my only future options were to study Law, Medicine, or Engineering. My lack of interest in Maths and Science (sorry Mr Staffe and Mr Meczes!) meant that I only considered Law as a viable option.
However, being involved with WADL and UN Youth made me realise that my true passion was for education - especially in terms of providing unique educational opportunities for young people. I started my teaching journey with Teach For Australia and worked at Butler College for two years. It was a highly rewarding experience, particularly in terms of facilitating extracurricular programs such as debating.
This was a big motivating factor in my decision to teach at Mod - the ability to provide very enriching and challenging opportunities for students beyond the classroom to learn about the world around them. I’ve really enjoyed leveraging my debating and UN Youth experience to help students develop critical lifelong skills such as teamwork, public speaking, and critical thinking.
If you could relive high school all over again, what would you do differently?
The biggest thing I would change about my time at Mod is my attitude towards the ATAR and how much emphasis I placed on it. I was a much happier person when I adjusted these expectations for myself and focused more on the experience of learning rather than the results attached to it. This is a value that I actively try to embed and teach in my classroom today!
Emma Boogaerdt
Forgarty Scholarship (UWA) 2012
Describe your time at Perth Modern School in terms of growing as an individual and a scholar.
I think the biggest influence on my growth during my time at Mod were my teachers. I feel incredibly lucky to have been taught by so many passionate people, who worked tirelessly to make sure their students were supported and encouraged. Mod also afforded me so many opportunities to expand my knowledge and challenge myself, particularly being on Student Council which was a real learning opportunity and development of my leadership skills.
What are your favourite memories of your time at Mod?
Many of my favourite memories from my time at Mod came from school trips, be it going on Europe or Italian Tour, field trips for photography, or traveling for extra-curricular competitions. It was really exciting being able to go away with friends and I personally loved the chance to get out of the classroom and do something hands on!
If you could relive high school all over again, what would you do differently?
If I could relive high school all over again I would probably stress less and not sweat the little stuff. I think there’s a lot of pressure put on young people to know exactly what to do with your life while at school, when in reality there’s no rush at all. I think if you try your best, have fun, and focus on being mentally and physically healthy then the other stuff will work itself out.
Who do you still keep in touch with from Mod after leaving?
I’ve kept in touch with quite a few friends from school, in fact, I’m Maid of Honour for the wedding of two school friends later this year! I’m also in contact with a few former and current teachers, including HASS teacher Anish Badgeri who was actually a classmate of mine at Mod.
What did you study after leaving Mod and what are your current career/academic goals?
I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations in 2015 and graduated from the Juris Doctor last year. I was lucky to have the chance to study overseas twice – during my undergraduate degree I did a congressional internship in Washington DC while taking summer school through the University of California, and during my postgraduate studies I did an exchange at Utrecht University in their Masters of Law program.
Why did you choose this particular area of study?
I was always loud and argumentative as a child so naturally I was always told to be a lawyer! Once I got older I realised that fairness and access to justice were important values to me, so pursuing a career in the law seemed like a good fit.
What else have you achieved/been involved in since your time at Mod?
At university I continued my habit of spending more time on extra-curriculars than my studies, particularly through inter-varsity debating and also being elected to the UWA Student Guild. I also had a number of part-time jobs, from flipping burgers to working for Members of Parliament.
This year I commenced my graduate year at Allens, a commercial law firm, and next month I will be admitted as lawyer at the Supreme Court of Western Australia. I’ve continued my involvement in debating as a Board Member of the WA Debating League and a school friend and I have taken up Italian classes again – continuing on from our studies while at Mod. I’m hoping to practice law overseas at some point, but who knows what the post-Covid future holds!
Elizabeth Knight
Fogarty Scholarship (UWA) 2016
Describe your time at Perth Modern School in terms of growing as an individual and a scholar.
Coming to Perth Mod was the first place I had ever truly been able to be myself. At primary school, I felt like a fish out of water. It was the most amazing feeling to find my home alongside 200 other people who were all passionate about learning new things. I’d do anything to have an experience like that again, because it’s something that is so rare once you leave school.
What are your favourite memories of your time at Mod?
I don’t think that anything can beat the incredible teachers that you find at Mod. I idolised all of my teachers in Year 12 - to say that they were passionate and supportive doesn’t do them justice. Not to mention the music program, which despite being a sub-par violinist, I really treasure all of the performances in choirs and on Music Tour. I’ve gone back to some of the places we visited since, and I can’t believe how lucky we were to sing and play in some of the most beautiful venues in the world! But of course, the people and the learning environment are what I miss the most.
If you could relive high school all over again, what would you do differently?
The only thing I would change is to invest as much time in learning about myself, as I did about the world around me. I left school with a perfect ATAR and so many amazing skills and learnings, but I didn’t know where I wanted them to take me. Learning about who you are will become your secret weapon after you graduate, because you have so many opportunities from being a Mod graduate, the hardest part is figuring out which opportunity to choose.
Who do you still keep in touch with from Mod after leaving?
I’ve actually gotten to know lots of people outside of my year group, which is really cool. The sad thing about our school is that everyone becomes so successful and ends up spread across the world so it’s hard to get everyone in one place. There are lots of people who I don’t see often, but every time I do get to catch up with my Perth Mod friends, even if it’s only passing them by at university or in the city, it feels like no time has passed.
What did you study after leaving Mod and what are your current career/academic goals?
I studied Management, Political Science and International Relations, but to be honest most of my education since leaving school has happened outside of the classroom! I quite quickly realised that I didn’t want to follow a traditional path, and so I’ve founded my own startup called Purposeful, which helps young people to create meaningful careers for themselves, so that they are motivated, confident and excited about their futures. My goal is to bring my vision for education and my business to life, and to help as many young people as possible!
Why did you choose this particular area of study?
Initially I chose to be in the Bachelor of Philosophy degree at UWA, because it was ‘prestigious’. In actual fact, it is a great degree, but only if you want to do research or academia in my opinion. I chose Management because it was the closest thing I could find to ‘leadership’, and International Relations because I wanted to culture myself about the world around me.
In hindsight, management was not the best choice, but it allowed me to have freedom to pursue things outside of my degree. International Relations was a great blend of history, psychology, literature and languages which I loved. My advice is to pursue what you love learning, because if you love what you do, you will always be motivated to excel at it.
What else have you achieved/been involved in since your time at Mod?
There have been a few big ‘wins’ along the way, but the achievement I am proudest of is creating my own career pathway for myself and not giving up on what I am truly passionate about.
Sagar Badve
John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship (2017)
What course and where are you studying?
I am studying a double degree of Law and Finance at Curtin University, under the John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship (JCUS). The JCUS is the most generous and prestigious undergraduate scholarship offered at Curtin. The scholarship has allowed me to travel to Sweden, on exchange, through the international travel stipend, and focus on my studies and extracurricular activities, as my degree costs are covered.
How did you become involved with the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation Leadership Development Program (LDP)?
During my time on exchange, I was immersed in widely different political and cultural landscapes. Equipped with this newfound global perspective, I sought to explore different political outlooks which serendipitously lead me to apply for the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation Leadership Development Program (LDP). The LDP is a full-funded scholarship valued at $20,000 enabling students to interact with leading academics on topics regarding economics, public policy and a free society. Moreover, the program enables scholars to travel internationally to various think-tanks and economic foundations to broaden their knowledge of global economics and politics.
What have you enjoyed about your association with Mannkal and how has it contributed to your growth as a student?
I joined the LDP hoping to gain a deeper understanding of economic and political systems but have been overwhelmed by the amount of effort that the team at Mannkal puts into facilitating success for each of their scholars. Various opportunities have been provided to me including local internships and also the facilitation of major contacts in key interest areas including South-East Asia and the US. Throughout the LDP I have come to delve deeper into issues while pragmatically examining their true effects on society; rather than previously, merely analysing them on a surface level. Moreover, I have continued to develop the ability to question government policy from different angles and ensure that the systems that are established for the people are truly serving the people.
What are your future plans regarding your studies/career?
Through the LDP I will be embarking on a two-month study tour around either Europe or the Americas, in early 2021. Alongside being a Mannkal scholar I have also been awarded the Georgia Rotary Student Program Scholarship and will attend the University of Georgia (UGA) from August 2021 into 2022. From there I hope to utilise the contacts I have made through Mannkal to gain a better understanding of the US financial and legal system, while also building a nationwide network. I am particularly in interested in the fusion of leadership with business and community, and such, closely works with the executive team at Path of Hope; a charity focused on breaking the intergenerational cycle of family and domestic violence. I aim to continue to learn and expand my network while providing value to any organisation I work with, and more so, to benefiting the wider community.
