Moorabbin Airport is delighted to support long-term partner St Kilda Football Club (STKFC) in realising the 2023 Moorabbin Airport Multicultural and Indigenous Scholarship Program, a student engagement program seeking to promote cultural awareness and nurture tomorrow’s future leaders across the community.
Committed to supporting youth education, cultural awareness and community engagement, Moorabbin Airport’s sponsorship of the 2023 Multicultural and Indigenous Scholarship Program is one of a series of community-focused initiatives in its dynamic five-year partnership with STKFC.
This year’s Scholarship Program invited 13 multicultural and 13 Indigenous students to participate in a series of immersive workshops and mentoring sessions led by STKFC staff, Indigenous ambassadors and community leaders. Students received valuable life lessons focused on leadership, resilience, and cultural diversity, and gained a deeper understanding into the customs and traditions unique to Indigenous Australian culture.
The lucky student group was selected based on their achievements, future goals and vision for what they aimed to attain from this experience. They were welcomed to a special induction night with their families, where they were introduced to STFKC and greeted with a Welcome to County from Indigenous leader, Aunty Janet.
The program consisted of two key workshops that exposed students to personal stories, professional insights, and customs unique to Indigenous Australian culture. In Workshop 1, STKFC Assistant Coach Jarryd Roughead shared his inspiring journey on and off the field. This was followed by a wood-burning session led by MAC’s Indigenous Ambassador Aunty Katrina Amon. The ritual represented collective Indigenous Australian narratives and the journeys being taken by generations across the community.
“We wanted the students to have a deeper understanding of Indigenous Australian culture and practices, and the life lessons we can all take from the world’s oldest living culture through this important Scholarship Program,” Moorabbin Airport CEO Paul Ferguson explained.
“We’re delighted to support STKFC in bringing this initiative to life for students, drawing on the knowledge and experiences of key community members including our Indigenous Ambassador, Aunty Katrina Amon, and our Multicultural Ambassador, Trent Dennis-Lane.”
The program continued with a leadership and resilience session led by MAC’s Multicultural Ambassador, Trent Dennis-Lane as part of Workshop 2, supported by a cultural awareness session. STKFC also invited students and their families to be part of a rare gameday experience during the Sir Doug Nicholls round when they played against Hawthorn Football Club. Assembling on the field for the guard of honour and soaking up the match’s electric atmosphere, students reflected that it was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity.
A graduation ceremony was held to mark the end of the program, which focused on celebrating students’ growth and achievements, as well as the involvement of the wider community. During the ceremony, Brother and Sister Ashantii and Tyrone Nesbitt presented a wood-burning gift to CEO Paul Ferguson, a heartfelt gesture of gratitude to Moorabbin Airport for its ongoing support of the program.