Jaius (he/him)

I’m Jaius, and I’m commencing my studies in a Bachelor of Commerce at The University of Melbourne in 2022.

I have been very blessed with my education thus far, and am particularly grateful to have been lucky enough to have had so many enriching experiences throughout high school.

In year nine, I developed a strong passion for the natural environment through my outdoor education experiences, and this passion continues to shape my future. Throughout my many adventures, I have seen how humanity’s global influence is negatively impacting our natural environment. Hiking alongside the ghosts of dead snow gums in the forests of the Victorian High Country is amongst the most haunting of my memories, and those images will stay with me forever.

I am studying with the intention of one day being in a position to influence large scale change in the realms of climate reform and environmental conservation, in Victoria and more widely, to protect what remains of our natural world.

My tertiary education had a rough start, with personal difficulties resulting from my identity, and a problematic relationship, getting in the way of my studies. Naturally, it didn’t help that the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Australia only three weeks into my first semester of a Bachelor of Science in 2020. As a result of a combination of these factors, I feel as though I have been unable to realise my full potential. I am most excited to be starting fresh with a new course in 2022, with the support of a mentor, and a clean slate on which I can write my own future.

I am incredibly grateful to The Pinnacle Foundation, and my donor, Rob Grant, for their generosity in helping me in the completion of my tertiary education.