Project of Mercy Recipient Announced

OGA President, Gemma Varone (2009)  launched the Project of Mercy Grant at the inaugural joint reunion on Saturday 6 March. This grant of up to $5000, is to enable a Santa Maria College alumnus to undertake a planned project, with the primary focus of helping others, less fortunate, within the Western Australian Community. The nature of the grant reflects the philanthropic mission of the SMCOGA, in line with the Mercy values, and provides an opportunity for the SMCOGA to make a positive impact in the broader community.

It was very exciting to announce the recipient of this grant last week at the College Mercy Day celebrations. Gemma was delighted to be invited to the Mercy Day Mass to make the presentation.

The OGA invited all alumni to apply for the grant of up to $5,000, and we were thrilled to receive a number of outstanding applications. It was difficult to choose, which is why we have decided to also award a second finalist.

Ashleigh Small (2012), will receive $2,000 for her not-for-profit group, Hello Initiative. She will use the money to establish a Youth Justice Innovation Advisory Council to further her work helping young people caught up in WA’s criminal justice system. 

Our winning applicant, who will receive $5,000, was Catherine Kolmyjec (1986). Over the past year, Catherine has been working with a bunch of creative young people with disabilities to form their own film crew called ‘The Periscope Crew’. The grant will allow them to create one full broadcast quality episode of a web series breaking down barriers to the wider community through telling a story chosen by one of their participants.

Gemma thanks the College for their support with this grant. We are so excited to see both of these projects come to fruition.