Having won the distinguished scholarship that covers all fees to Bond University and moving onto campus last May, Bella is loving her studies and says that life at Bond has exceeded all expectations. She wants to ultimately work in the area of human rights law.
Since moving to Bond Bella has discovered that the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Brailsford, is a Mentone Grammar old boy having graduated in 1981.
The Bond/ Mentone Grammar links go even further with Bella also discovering that her former principal at Mentone Grammar, Mr Mal Cater, was in the same year as Professor Brailsford at school and they graduated together.
Mr Cater is still principal of Mentone Grammar and the School’s Careers Counsellor, Max Marrow – who was on the Gold Coast recently for the Bond University’s annual Secondary School Partnership Summit – says approximately six other Mentone Grammar students have made their way to Bond.
“Bella was the first female student to win the Australia Day Scholarship, which is only awarded to one Victorian student a year, but there’s been a strong tie between Mentone and Bond over the years,” said Mr Marrow.
For Bella those ties are going to get even stronger with her elder sister Charlotte coming to Bond in May to undertake a Post Graduate Law Degree. “There will be two lawyers in the family, which will make for interesting times,” she said.
“My grandfather Ian Hayden is a criminal defense attorney and he influenced our individual decisions to go into law.”
Bella said she was enjoying her studies at Bond and she was also involved in sponsorship raising activities for the Student Philanthropy Council’s Project at Kununurra in Western Australia.
“Living on campus is great –you develop very special relationships with other students and also the lecturers which is very rewarding,” she said.
Mentone Grammar Careers Counsellor Max Marrow said Bond’s three-semesters-per-year model, smaller class sizes, facilities and the variety of courses on offer made it an ideal next step for Mentone Grammar students.
“I have been to five of the annual partnership summits and they are invaluable for us to see all the new additions that occur at Bond each year, to meet and get to know the lecturers, and have an understanding of the courses on offer.
“It is very worthwhile and I can only see the links between Mentone and Bond getting stronger,” said Mr Marrow.
Professor Brailsford, whose father also taught science for many years at Mentone, said he had fond memories of his time at Mentone Grammar and still kept in contact with Mal Cater.
“It is very pleasing to see students the calibre of Bella joining us here at Bond and it leaves me in no doubt that my old school is in great shape,” he said.
“The Mentone Grammar-Bond relationship can only continue to grow and I look forward to that.”