Messages of hope at ICMS March 2023 Scholarships Ceremony

Since its inception in 2011, the International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) Professional Scholarship program has awarded over $13million worth of scholarships. At the March 15 ICMS Professional Scholarship Ceremony 100 students received scholarships worth over $1.4million.

“The scholarships program is our key platform for giving; it’s how we prioritise corporate and social responsibility,” ICMS Scholarships chair Ann Whitelock said.

“As a private higher education provider, the volume of giving is unique and I’m thankful that we’re very established in this space.”

Livestreamed to a global audience, the prestigious ceremony was attended by ICMS scholarship winners, their family and friends, ICMS academic faculty and ICMS industry and corporate partners.

Besides Northern Beaches Council Nayor Michael Regan, industry representatives included senior executives from Wotif Expedia, ANZ, Motti + Smith Events, Surf Life Saving Sydney Northern Beaches, Sydney University Football Club, Country Education Foundation, Manly Rugby Club, Women’s Resilience Centre, Eastwood Rugby, Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA), Christian Dior Couture and Nova Entertainment among others.

Message about Generosity, Diversity, Equity and Transparency

Ann explained that the scholarships program was underpinned by three important values:

Benevolence: Giving back to the student community. Privately funded by ICMS and corporate partners, the scholarships are composed of accommodation and tuition waivers as well as invaluable industry placements.

Embracing diversity: Both through creating as many different scholarship opportunities as possible, but also to as many different nationality and types of people as possible. Besides Australians and First Nation Australians, students receiving scholarships came from nations as Nepal, Germany, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, New Zealand, France, China, Bangladesh, Philippines, Argentina, Thailand, Kenya and the US.

The range of scholarships continues to develop to meet the breadth of diversity of student new and current with around 30 different scholarship types now.

Equity and Inclusion: This is all about promoting equitable access to a higher education in Australia and supporting those in need. “There’s a growing group of scholarship recipients you will not see come up tonight simply because we respect their circumstances and they’ve come through the channel of hardship and adversity,” Ann said, adding that these recipients still make written application submissions and attend qualifying interviews.

Regarding transparency in the awarding of scholarships, Ann said: “We’re proud because we’ve worked really hard over many years to protect and maintain the program’s integrity with a fortified methodology.

“We’re prouder still of the recipients because they’ve earned the scholarships earnestly and can hold their hand on their hearts and know that the process and methodology developed is continually improved, it’s objective, equitable and consistent.”

Message from the Mayor

ICMS and Northern Beaches Council have had a long and mutually beneficial history to the benefit of the entire local community.

“I wanted to say tonight just a very big thank you to Ann and to the colleagues here. You guys are an amazing asset to the Northern Beaches community and have been for a very, very long time,” Mayor Michael Regan said.

“And I’m very grateful that all the students that come here and be part of this this great community and get to learn from this extraordinary college.”

Messages from industry partners

* Daniel Finch, Wotif.com Managing Director, handed out three Wotif Scholarships.

“At Expedia Group and Wotif we believe that travel changes lives. What we know as well is education absolutely changes lives, and what a remarkable opportunity you have in an incredible and outstanding education facility such as ICMS with staff that are world class, led by world class talent as well.”

* Manly Savers Rugby Club general manager Rob Gallagher presented two ICMS Manly Rugby Scholarships and thanked ICMS for the long term partnership the two community-driven institutions shared.

“Without your support, it would be hard to fulfil our community goal of not only making better players, but better people to create memories and impact lives, which is our club mantra. By having ICMS by our side, we’re able to assist young people achieve their goals in life.”

* Nova Entertainment sales director Josh Hillings confirmed that the company would be partnering with ICMS and offering two scholarship opportunities in 2023.

“Nova celebrates diversity and creativity, and we’re certain there’s plenty of both at ICMS, so it’s a natural alignment for us. We can’t wait to invest in the future of students each year and unearth future members of the Nova Entertainment team.”

Messages from Scholarship Winners

* ICMS Bachelor of Business (Fashion and Global Brand Management student) Brody Turton won the ICMS Professional Scholarship and thanked ICMS for the “chance and the ability to study at such a prestigious” higher education institution.

“The ICMS Professional Scholarship program has been amazing for me in many ways. It’s not only a financial benefit, it also gives me a boost mentally,” he said.

“Receiving the scholarship has helped me feel more confident in several ways. I now feel a real sense of belonging in a place of academics as well as making me feel like a valued member of the community. Whilst building my confidence, receiving a scholarship has made me push myself to greater limits and hold myself to higher standards in and outside of the ICMS classroom.

“I can’t thank the board members and interviewers enough for not just looking at me as a number. From the moment I stepped foot on the campus lecturers, board members and countless other people have made me feel extremely valued.”

* Kyra Kenzi, Bachelor of Business (Fashion and Global Management), winner of the A&TSIP Scholarship, specifically for Indigenous Australians, was enjoying her first trimester at ICMS and has joined the SRC and become a student ambassador.

The experience is light years away from her high school experience where she was one of 42 students in her year.

“Thanks to this scholarship, I am able to both complete my degree here at ICMS as well as being able to thrive by living on campus, something I wouldn’t be able to do without this scholarship as I come from a single parent household,” Kenzie said.

“This scholarship has given me the opportunity to grow both academically and socially. Thank you to those who have given me this opportunity.”

* Nikki Coleman, Bachelor of Event Management student currently on Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement at Motti + Smith Events and winner of the Motti + Smith Events Scholarship, was handed her award by ICMS alumna Fernando Motti, founder of Motti + Smith Events.

“There have been many highlights throughout my placement, but the standout for me was working on the Sydney WorldPride 2023,” Nikki said.

“I can stand here today because of ICMS’ remarkable scholarship program. This program provides the opportunities for students to participate and help them have the upper hand in their career progression and growth.”

* Angelika Auerbach is also a first year Bachelor of Business (Fashion and Global Brand Management) student, and a recipient of the A&TSIP Scholarship.

“I am a transcendent of the Wiradjuri people near Grafton. My ancestors were known as people of the three rivers; and were the largest Aboriginal group in central NSW. I grew up in Dharawal country, in the Royal National Park and am glad to still be near the ocean,” she said.

Angelika said she was “thrilled and grateful” to have been offered this opportunity after ICMS took the time to get to know her, believe in her, and believe in her potential.

“So far, the scholarship has enabled me to succeed in a course that my heart has endless passion for… I feel supported and known by ICMS. I really have confidence that even if the going gets tough, ICMS will support me and help me thrive.”

* Over the course of her Bachelor of Business studies, Isabella Cabral has been the recipient of a number of scholarships: starting her degree in 2021 with an ICMS Professional Scholarship, winning Academic Scholarships for her academic achievements throughout her degree, and receiving a Courtney O’Connor Scholarship at the culmination of her degree.

She recalled the phone call that told her she had won a place at ICMS at a time with her family-owned and run tennis academy was affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“It began with an invitation, a phone call a few years ago. The invitation was to begin a journey that would involve tremendous development and growth, a journey filled with unique opportunities, extraordinary experiences, and character defining moments,” she said.

“I realised this was an excellent opportunity to further my education, investing in our business and my personal goals. The Bachelor of Business program seamlessly incorporated my experience and passion for sports, tourism and events, equipping me with skills and resources I could apply immediately within our company. I believe I am now a more competent, professional and empathetic young adult with the desire to build business that not only makes a profit but leaves a legacy.”

Messages from past Scholarship winners

* In her third year of a Bachelor of Business and already appointed in a fulltime role at ANZ as Assistant Relationship Manager – Emerging Corporate, previous ANZ Scholarship winner Ella McMahon said the scholarship ignited her belief that she could pursue a career in banking.

I was fortunate enough to be awarded the ANZ Scholarship in 2021. Not only has this scholarship helped cover part of my tuition but, more importantly, provided me with a unique full time internship experience where I got to spend three months within the corporate banking sector at ANZ before embarking on my journey at ANZ.

“Banking was an industry that I was never confident enough to even think about pursuing a career in. However, walking into this opportunity head on, with the support and guidance of both the ICMS Scholarship Board and some of the ANZ previous scholarship recipients, the bank quickly became a place with valued connections, endless learning and growth that I would otherwise not have had access to,” Ella said.

“With newfound industry experience and confidence after my internship, this scholarship has opened doors unimagined. It has now allowed me to be in a position where I have a permanent role within ANZ’s Commercial Bank in Emerging Corporate as an Assistant Relationship Manager. This truly proves that ICMS puts you a step ahead even before you finish your degree.

“Without this scholarship, I would not have dreamed of working within the bank. And for this I’m truly grateful to ANZ and ICMS. ICMS wants to see you succeed and follow your aspirations. They listen to your career goals and work with you to help put yourself in a position to make them achievable.”

* Master of Management student Relove Gyawali, who received a Postgraduate Innovation Scholarship, was a hotel manager in his home country of Nepal before choosing to enhance his career prospects with a postgraduate degree from ICMS.

“This scholarship has pushed me to try my limits,” Relove said.

He is currently employed as a Guest Relation Supervisor at Sydney Harbour Marriott.

“I never thought that I’d be working in one of the most reputable companies in the world. And here I am now, dealing with global business and recreational clients as a relationship supervisor. The inspiration goes to, of course, the ICMS Innovation Scholarship,” he said.

“I would like to appeal to and encourage all my colleagues and future students who are looking to join ICMS to try for the scholarship options they have. You’ll definitely feel empowered.”

For more information on the ICMS Professional Scholarships Program, click here.

To watch the ICMS Professional Scholarships Program March 2023 Ceremony, click here.