As many of you are aware, 2025 is our 50th anniversary and it has been an amazing opportunity for me to connect with alumni who have graduated over the previous five decades and students who are still studying today.
I love meeting our alumni and hearing about your achievements – whether you’re inspiring the next generation of kids as a primary school teacher, leading your own business or breaking records as an Olympic athlete.
The stories of your successes – and the struggles along the way – are powerful. You are role models for the next Griffith generation.
When you’re reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of your journey, I would ask you to think about how you can help the students of the future succeed, too. In particular, please consider donating to our Brighter Futures Scholarship Program. For every dollar you give, we will provide a dollar from Griffith as well, doubling the impact of your gift. Gifts can be large or small – don't feel you have to wait until you could support a full scholarship before you give.
I have the privilege of meeting with many of the Brighter Future Scholars, whose lives are transformed by gifts from alumni and staff. They are exceptional people who are often carrying a very heavy load – working long hours in low-paid employment, often caring for family members, and showing great resilience in overcoming life hurdles.
The cost of living is high for everyone, and scholarship students are forced to make very tough decisions. For them, a $5,000 scholarship can be the difference between staying in their course or dropping out. Or between having to work a manageable 10–15 hours a week alongside their studies, instead of an extra 25–30 hours a week.
It’s no surprise to see that students who face these challenges and get scholarships are far more likely to finish their course. In fact, students who receive the Brighter Futures Scholarship have a higher retention rate than the rest of the undergraduate student body – eight per cent higher in trimester one, last year.
One important reason for this is that the students want to show those who have donated that they are worthy of their trust. Many Brighter Future Scholars talk about the sense of determination they feel, thanks to the people who have generously donated, because those people believed in them. It’s a powerful thing to know that the students who came before you want to see you succeed as well.
One of the striking things about Griffith is that our staff are deeply committed to the success of our students. I’m proud that more than 15 per cent of Griffith’s staff give to the Brighter Future Scholarship Program – well above the national norm of four per cent for staff giving programs. Their impact isn’t just monetary, either: our students can see that the people who work here believe in them, care about them and support them.
If just 15 per cent of our alumni donated every month, that would make an incredible difference. Your regular gift could enable us to support many more students – and keep these stories of success coming.
When I talk to the Brighter Future Scholars, I am impressed by their determination to make it. When they get just a little bit of help to get through their degree, their resilience, life experience and capacity for hard work enables them to make a great difference in the world. By supporting these scholarships, you could help to unleash the potential of these students.
Find out more about the Brighter Futures Scholarship Program or giving to Griffith.
Image captions (top to bottom):
- Harmony Otrupcek, Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honouors), 2025 Brighter Futures Scholarship recipient
- Jesse Zborovsky, Bachelor of Paramedicine, 2025 Brighter Futures Scholarship recipient
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Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
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