“If I told my younger self of all the opportunities and experiences I’ve had, he wouldn’t believe me at all.
“Looking back, there’s so much I’ve gained and experienced. More than I could ever imagine.”
William completed Year 12 on an AIEF Scholarship in 2024 at Knox Grammar School in Sydney.
My name is William. I am a proud Noongar, Gunditjmara and Jawoyn student. I have been boarding at Knox Grammar School on an AIEF Scholarship since I was in Year 8.
I remember when my grandmother first mentioned boarding school. I was in Year 3. I told her that it would never happen, and I was sure of it. Five years later I started my first year at Knox.
Only being 13 years old, I had no idea what boarding would be like. To be honest, I was scared. Such a big city, so many different people and places.
Luckily, I had my sister at Pymble Ladies’ College. Having her close by was always reassuring, because she was always there for me in the years to follow.
When she finished Year 12, it inspired me to not give up and to finish my schooling so that one day, I may inspire more young Indigenous kids to graduate.
Looking back, there’s so much I’ve gained and experienced. More than I could ever imagine.
If I told my younger self of all the opportunities and experiences I’ve had, he wouldn’t believe me at all.
Attending Knox was itself an incredible experience. I had endless opportunities waiting.
I met extraordinary people, went to places I didn’t even know existed. I learned so much about the areas of study I chose and had many experiences with culture too.
After Year 12, I’m hoping to study Engineering and Business Management at university. Knowing that both courses are rigorous and require many hours of study, I still feel that I want to complete them. But I can’t forget the importance of my culture, the connection to community and Country and to the rich history of our people.
Eventually, I hope to give back to my people and to Country, to work for social justice, to heal my people on their long journey to Reconciliation and to care for Country and support my mob.
