In April 2025, this year’s cohort of GAF scholars from across Australia attended the Foundation's online Scholarship Commencement Ceremony.

The online event saw promising young people socialise with their peers from across Australia and provided them with an opportunity to connect with their fellow GAF scholars.

The event kicked off with our Program & Partnerships Manager, Brad Shrimpton, providing a brief overview of George Alexander's life. Brad touched on the unique qualities that made George Alexander a dedicated TAFE teacher and university lecturer, a successful businessman, a generous philanthropist and – most importantly – a lifelong learner.

Given the hardships he faced as a young migrant who worked hard to support himself and gain an education, George Alexander knew that he wanted to help future generations of outstanding young people achieve their educational goals. And this year’s cohort is nothing short of outstanding – our 2025 scholars have demonstrated their leadership capabilities and community contributions to earn this scholarship. Brad congratulated them and noted how the Foundation looks forward to the contributions they will make to the communities and industries they’ll be a part of in the future.

Scholars were then introduced to Madeleine (Maddy) Buchner and Jacqueline (Jacq) de Mamiel. A former GAF alum herself, Maddy began with her background growing up as a young carer. Having a younger brother who had a variety of allergies and chronic illnesses, Maddy grew up caring for her brother and later her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. From age nine, Maddy began wondering: Who takes care of the young carers? 

It was this question that led Maddy to found Little Dreamers at age 16. Little Dreamers is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of young people doing unpaid care duties – including providing leadership pathways and employment programs. Maddy balanced her leadership role at Little Dreamers while studying at RMIT as a GAF scholar. The scholarship allowed her to reduce her shifts at her part-time job and dedicate more time to university and running Little Dreamers.

Jacqueline shares a similar story to Maddy. Having two brothers with a disability and a mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer, Jacq began caring for her family at the young age of five. Anybody who has ever taken on a carer role knows that caring never stops, and Jacq recounted how she would miss school because of her caring duties. It was through receiving tutoring support via Little Dreamers that Jacq came to know Maddy and became aware of her inspirational story. Jacq now works with Maddy at Little Dreamers as the Young Carer Voice Lead where she draws from her own experience growing up and advocates for young carers across Australia.

Our scholars were tasked with sharing who in their lives inspired them. In break-out groups facilitated by Cam and Josh from the Reach Foundation, our scholars quickly felt at ease sharing a personal reflection from their lives. Perhaps not so surprisingly, many scholars mentioned a close family member as their source of inspiration. Yet the reason they chose this family member varied widely – some mentioned their grandparents for their tenacity, whereas others appreciated their siblings for their can-do attitude.

This activity got our scholars to get to know one another on a deeper level beyond just ‘What are you studying?’ and left everyone feeling positive, motivated and connected. So, if you’re ever in need of an unconventional ice breaker in your life – why not ask ‘Who inspires you?’

If you were unable to attend, hear Maddy and Jacq’s inspiring stories below.