Scholars celebrated

A group of Melbourne’s GLBTI movers and shakers gathered in the Goldman Sachs boardroom last week to congratulate three Melbourne young achievers.

The three local winners — Jakob Quilligan, 20, Michelle Slattery, 23, and Jayke Clayden, 20 — were selected among nine young Australians to receive a Pinnacle Foundation scholarship, a scheme designed to help disadvantaged young GLBTI people realise their potential.

Quilligan is studying nursing and paramedics at Monash University, Slattery social sciences at Swinburne University and Clayden is studying international studies at RMIT.

Pinnacle Foundation co-founder Sean Linkson congratulated the winners and said the Foundation has set an ambitious target to raise $5 million over the next five years to grow the organisation.

Scholars and mentors (left to right): Quilligan with his mentor Simon Powell (back left), Slattery and mentor Julie Craig (front right), Clayden (far right) and mentor Ian Seal (back right)