Year 11 students Winston Ku and Benjamin Hardstone are among the recipients of secondary scholarships from Western Chances.
Western Chances is a not-for-profit organisation which, according to its website,gives young people in Melbourne’s west and Geelong “the chance to fulfil their potential and overcome barriers to success by providing scholarships, opportunity programs and ongoing support”.
Their scholarships “support high achieving and motivated students who may not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue their education dreams.”
Winston and Benjamin recently attended the 2026 Western Chances Good Business Forum, along with assistant principals Elyse Melvin-Hill and Krystal Coleman, and careers and transitions leading teacher Rachel Fastuca.
Here’s what Winston had to say about the experience.
“Last month, I was invited to the Western Chances Good Business Forum at Melbourne Town Hall. As one of the few high school recipients of the Western Chances Scholarship at the event, it was an exciting opportunity to meet with numerous former recipients, university and former alumni of Western Chances.
“At first, I was intimidated by the formal setting, but listening to the inspiring speeches detailing the hardships and struggles they all went through as students from the west, I think I saw a bit of myself in them and that gave me confidence that I, too, could succeed.
“All the former and current recipients I personally talked to were really understanding, and listening to their stories of getting internships at multinational companies and volunteering at annual camps, helped me realise the kinds of opportunities that I was open to as a scholarship recipient.
“Seeing the big number on the screen showing just how much money was raised gave me insight that every single dollar was given to invest into every recipient’s future, and it gave me a reminder that I had one.”
