News Archive

Fred Chaney, Annie Fogarty and Andrew and Nicola Forrest all believe that education is the great empowerer.

The Senior Australian of the Year , UWA alumnus and human rights campaigner joins philanthropists Brett and Annie Fogarty and Andrew and Nicola Forrest , to promote education as the only way to eliminate global poverty, raise the universal standard of living and support young people to reach their potential as community leaders.

All of UWA's supporters believe in the power of education, but each supporter has a very personal reason for giving to the University.

Overcoming adversity

Personal experience is a powerful motivator. Many UWA donors have experienced great adversity in pursuing their own education; some have never had the opportunity. By donating to UWA, these people are helping others achieve their academic potential.

In 1956, Stan, aka Ted, Poniewierski graduated from UWA as a civil engineer with the aid of a Hackett Bursary .

Stan was 12 years old in 1939 when German forces occupied his hometown of Czestochowa, Poland. From then on, Stan could only continue his education at study groups established by the underground government. He lived with the threat of deportation or death if he was found out.

From 1942 to 1945, Stan served with the National Armed Forces and the Holy Cross Mountain Brigade, derailing trains, blowing up bridges, raiding ammunition dumps and, in May 1945, Stan helped free women from the Holyszow concentration camp.

Unable to return to Soviet-occupied Poland, Stan arrived in Fremantle in 1948 with one shilling to his name. He bought a stamp to send a letter to his parents and was left with sixpence and a rail voucher to Yellowdine, where he worked as a fettler on the Southern Cross-Kalgoorlie line.

It would be 47 years before Stan could return to his homeland. When he did return after the Soviets left in the early 90s, it was a time of reflection coinciding with Stan's retirement. He felt the Hackett bursary he received to study at UWA had been a great enabler. He decided the best way to help others in a similar situation was to leave a bequest to the university that had helped him.

Stan died earlier this year, and his generosity and belief in the power of education has established a First in the Family scholarship that will help a UWA Fairway student experiencing financial difficulties achieve a UWA education. Like Stan, they will be pioneers in their families and an inspiration to others to follow in their footsteps.

Giving back

Many donors see the education they received at UWA as a privilege, and they believe they have a responsibility to support others on their educational journey.

These members of the UWA community have a deep appreciation of the transformative educational experience and solid foundation in life they received at UWA.

As well as contributing financially, alumni and friends are involved with UWA through lifelong learning opportunities.

The recipient of a BHP scholarship to study economics in the early 1980s, alumnus and supporter James McClements joined the Business School's Pilbara tour in 2013. James provided financial support for the tour and shared the story, with regional students, of his own journey from Newman Senior High School to UWA. For James, connecting with students like this was an experience that could not be measured.

The power of research

Still others are keen to support UWA's ground-breaking research because they recognise the important role our researchers play in identifying and treating life-threatening diseases and finding sustainable ways of feeding the world's population.

In many cases, they see how research at UWA could affect their lives, or the lives of those close to them.

A recent study co-authored by UWA's Professor Carlos Duarte shows that university scientists are the members of the scientific community most trusted by the public.

So donors giving to research are not only helping us make inroads into some of the world's great challenges, they are declaring their belief in the pivotal role UWA plays in educating and informing the community..