Odette

I received the Clark Walton named scholarship in 2021 during my undergraduate studies and am very thankful to have been awarded the Michael Gorman scholarship to continue my studies in the Doctor of Medicine at Deakin University. I completed my double degree of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, and Biomedical Science at the end of 2025, and my Pinnacle Foundation scholarship allowed me to pursue my degree full-time and seriously consider postgraduate studies in medicine.

I grew up in Lilydale, where the schools and people were relatively conservative. I have attended numerous schools, although my move to the specialist John Monash Science School in Year 11 surrounded me with a like-minded and supportive community. It gave me the confidence to pursue my academic interests, as well as the freedom to confront my gender dysphoria without fear of harassment or discrimination.

Throughout my education, I have been guided by and looked up to a diverse range of role models. Yet it was not until I was fifteen that I met my first queer role model, and not until sixteen that I discovered trans people were not the stereotype I had been taught. I aspire to be that role model to somebody else. To show others not only my love for engineering and medicine, but also that trans people can strive for the same authenticity and respect that everyone deserves.