Missy Henderson from Geelong is joining the fight against cancer thanks to the support she has received from The Smith Family's Learning for Life program, which supports disadvantaged children with their education. To celebrate this achievement, Missy was selected to speak at The Smith Family's recent Graduation Ceremony, at RMIT University in Melbourne.
The graduation ceremony commends the successes of The Smith Family Learning for Life students graduating from tertiary and TAFE courses and recognises Year 12 students who are going onto further study or to work. The Medibank Community Fund sponsored the Victorian ceremony and presented graduating students with a kobo e-reader as a gift to congratulate them on their educational achievements.
"The aim of The Smith Family is to ensure that every child, no matter what their circumstances are, has access to a good education, which includes the resources they need to perform well at school and go on to further studies. Our education-oriented programs support children throughout their entire schooling, from primary right through to tertiary studies. Last year this ongoing support ensured our students stayed engaged in their education where 78 per cent transitioned from Year 11 to Year 12. We are very proud of all our graduating students and appreciate the support of our partner Medibank Community Fund," says Dr Lisa O'Brien, CEO, The Smith Family.
Missy joined the Learning for Life program in Year 11 at Corio Bay Snr College and has just completed a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne. Commenting on the program and her achievements, Missy says:
"I'm about to start a new job as a research assistant at Peter McCollum Cancer Centre, studying how to use the immune system to fight cancer. It's fantastic to be able to use the help I received from The Smith Family to give back to society and work in medical research. The Learning for Life program is fantastic and has given me so many amazing opportunities, I'm looking forward to the next exciting steps in my career and life."
George Savvides, Medibank's Managing Director, says, "Medibank Community Fund is proud to support the Smith Family Learning for Life graduation. Finishing Year 12 is a huge achievement and it is great to see these students moving on positively to their next chapters. We are proud to support an organisation that empowers young people with the necessary tools to lead productive, successful and fulfilling lives."