Awards help high achievers fulfill their dreams
Local
Six young people who were educated at Catholic schools are among the recipients of this year’s Playford Trust Scholarships.
The prestigious scholarships are awarded to high-achieving young South Australians by the Playford Trust, established in 1983 in honour of the State’s longest-serving premier, Sir Thomas Playford.
A record 51 university students were honoured at the awards night on April 10, with 45 receiving full scholarships and, for the first time, an additional six received Commendation Awards.
The students, who come from around SA, are undertaking STEM-related courses across all levels of study – from first year through to PhD.
Playford Trust Scholarship recipient Teagan Johnson.
Loreto College 2024 graduate Teagan Johnson was the only female recipient of six Andy Thomas Space Foundation/Playford Trust scholarships.
Teagan is studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical) and Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at University of Adelaide
At Loreto she received the Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence in recognition of her outstanding performance across high-level subjects.
Her goal is to contribute to South Australia’s space and defence industries, with a focus on advancing space technology and innovation.
Teagan is also committed to breaking barriers in STEM, as shown by her advocacy for greater gender diversity in engineering. She aims to inspire more young women to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields.
More broadly, she is a committed leader and advocate for social justice. She has been involved in initiatives such as the Peace and Justice Group and Puddle Jumpers, and spearheaded a campaign against violence towards women, gaining public and government recognition.
Playford Trust Rural and Regional STEM Scholarship recipient Izaak Matthiessen grew up in Port Augusta and attended Caritas College.
He is now in the first year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical) at Flinders University, which he sees as a stepping stone to a career in automotive or aerospace engineering. He hopes to expand his knowledge by gaining experience throughout Australia and the world.
Izaak’s interest in aeronautics grew from a love of physics and led him to undertake a research project discussing improvements made to aeroplanes over the past century.
He completed two university subjects as part of his Year 11 studies, achieving high distinctions in both, while maintaining his high achievement in other SACE subjects.
He was also involved in a range of school and extracurricular activities, including volunteering for activities during National Science Week.
Sarah Andrews, Member for Gibson, with Playford Trust Scholarship recipient Geoffrey Slattery.
Another Rural and Regional STEM Scholarship recipient was Geoffrey Slattery who grew up on a farm near Naracoorte, in later years travelling one and a half hours by bus and car to Tenison Woods College in Mount Gambier.
He finished top of his class in Physics and Specialist Mathematics and was awarded the University of South Australia John Petkov Excellence in Specialist Mathematics and Mathematical Methods Award. He also received the college’s Barker Shield Academic Achievement Award.
Geoffrey’s focus is on a career in mechanical engineering, beginning with undergraduate studies at University of Adelaide.
A keen sportsman, he developed leadership skills through his local football and basketball teams, representing his school and the wider community on numerous occasions. He was captain of both the town representative basketball team and the Tenison Woods College Junior Varsity basketball team that toured the west coast of the US for three weeks.
Scholarships were also awarded to Honours students from each of the three universities in SA.
Playford Trust Scholarship recipient Zoe Reubenicht.
Among the recipients was Zoe Reubenicht from University of South Australia who attended Sacred Heart College.
Zoe, who is studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), has gained three merit awards and the PW Stephens Engineering Prize.
She also has impressed with her communication and teamwork skills developed at Sacred Heart where she was House Captain across multiple years, and a sporting team captain.
For her Honours project, Zoe has decided to pursue an individual Honours thesis involving thermodynamics. Her industry partner will be the Australian Submarine Corporation, where she completed a 12-week paid internship over the most recent summer break.
The project is seeking to optimise dimple tube design variables to improve rates of heat transfer and system efficiency. Dimple tubes have a unique profile designed to increase efficiency and reduce fouling in heat exchangers.
Sophie Wrightson, Dux of Tenison Woods College, Mount Gambier, received the St Ann’s Foundation residential scholarship in 2023.
After a gap year, Sophie arrived in Adelaide this year to begin a degree program combining Mechanical Engineering with Finance and Banking.
Wendy Fleming, St Ann’s College principal/CEO with Playford Trust Scholarship recipient Sophie Wrightson.
In 2024, she worked in the laboratory of a local winery in Coonawarra, gaining her first taste of a STEM career. Now she hopes to forge a career that will allow her to exercise her love of problem solving to engineer solutions that will improve the human experience.
Sophie is passionate about acknowledging the disadvantages experienced by students from regional areas and helping others make the transition to university.
She says she has been overwhelmed by the sense of community at St Ann’s – much like she experienced growing up in the country.
Another rural student, Joshua Graham, came to Adelaide from Port Augusta where he attended Caritas College.
He also received a residential scholarship, sponsored by Chartwells, Playford Trust and St Ann’s College.
The Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) Honours student is majoring in computer engineering. He aims to become an embedded systems engineer, designing and programming electronics for defence, space and civilian applications.
Joshua says he is excited about his Honours project, which focuses on simulating various magnetic sensor designs. Fabricating these sensors is expensive, so he hopes to identify an optimal design through his simulations, eliminating the need to physically test each sensor.
The quantum sensing project Joshua is working on includes collaborations with the United States and Australian Departments of Defence, the National Security Agency of the Defence Science and Technology Group and several defence companies, including the BECA Group.
Last year Joshua was offered an internship with Ultra Maritime, where he developed software to automate electronics testing.
He says working with Ultra was an exciting challenge, as he was required to manage all aspects of the project, including design, testing and deployment.
At St Ann’s College, he’s served as a senior residential advisor and led a team of 12 people responsible for the pastoral care of 186 university students. Joshua is also a high school mathematics tutor for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Jump to next article
