2019 Donor and Laurels Mass

“A sense of direction, a sense of purpose”
Bursary recipient Colin Hwang speaks about the opportunities Xavier opened up for him

Whilst our annual Donor and Laurels Mass is always a wonderful opportunity for the College to thank and pay tribute to our donors, it is also a chance to hear directly from a beneficiary of the generous Xavier community. This year, Old Xaverian and bursary recipient Colin Hwang (OX 2016) was our guest speaker. He spoke from the heart about what the bursary has meant to him and how it has changed his life. 
Colin’s speech told of his journey with Xavier, beginning at Kostka Hall Campus in 2010. Although at first he said he felt overwhelmed and that his “blazer felt too big”, he took on the advice of others to grasp any and all opportunities available. Of his Jesuit education, Colin reflected on how “the importance of giving back, of generosity, was ingrained in the environment of the school I think, not only to be taught explicitly [and that] makes a difference”. “Ignatian Service has given me a sense of direction, a sense of purpose in my life now. It directs so many of my decisions, it helps me to have faith in God, to appreciate that good things happen if you work hard, and to understand what it means to be a good person”.

In Year 12, Colin became a Kostka Hall Campus Liaison Prefect, flourishing in a role that reconnected him with his Xavier roots. Right from a young age, Colin aspired to pursue a profession in the health field with his sights initially set on dentistry or pharmacology. At the end of Year 12, Colin’s aspirations were realised when he achieved a perfect ATAR score of 99.95 enabling him to begin his studies in medicine. 
Of his time at Xavier, Colin reflected on what type of person he might be if he had not been able to attend Xavier. He gave sincere thanks to the community who contribute to bursaries each year saying “Xavier has been a blessing to me [and] the bursary was a gift that allowed me to experience it. The only reason I am here, [is because of] all the sacrifices donors have made. I can’t say much about statistics, evidence, the experience of other students, but personally, for me, I have gained so much from Xavier. That is something I wanted to say tonight, that it does make a difference”.

Thank you to you, Colin, for bringing to life the importance of bursaries, what they mean to our community and what they can do for others.