A high-achieving St Bernard’s College student is a step closer to his dream of becoming an osteopath after being awarded a scholarship to Victoria University.
Science buff Luke Marinelli, 18, received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 93.3 in his VCE last year, achieving excellence in biology, outdoor and environmental studies, English, maths and studio arts.
Luke said his interest in becoming an osteopath — a specialist in the musculoskeletal system — was sparked by his fascination with the complexities of the human body and studying biology at school.
“I’ve always had an interest in biology and part of that is the human body,” he said.
“Initially, I was interested in sports science and I looked at chiro and physio and found osteopathy was related. I thought that sounded cool so I researched it and decided it was the path I wanted to take.”
Luke said he was initially given a scholar- ship as part of a program that Victoria University has with schools in the western suburbs. But when his ATAR score exceeded 90, he was offered one of 100 prestigious scholarships for academic excellence.
“I was stoked with my VCE score and it made me even more happy to know one of my schoolmates would be offered the scholarship I was given initially,” he said.
Luke said his dream was to volunteer in Tanzania and Cambodia and said he also wanted to study abroad. “It’s a five-year course, but I think I can tough it out because it will set me up.” The Victoria University scholarships provide students with an annual grant of $5000 for the duration of their course and also gives them access to a mentor program with professionals in their chosen fields.
