By JESSE GRAHAM
HEALESVILLE Primary School’s Marc Jones will have lighter study costs in the coming year after being awarded the Tricia O’Reilly Scholarship to kick-start his year seven tuition.
The $400 scholarship, created in memory of the grade six student who was tragically killed in 2001, was awarded to Marc in a school assembly on Monday 9 December.
The scholarship is awarded to students who best show qualities similar to Tricia, such as academic accomplishment, organisational skills and being well respected and will go towards fees for Marc at Healesville High School next year.
Healesville High School principal George Perini, teacher Gayle Shelley and Healesville police Sergeant Stewart Thomson awarded Marc with a plaque, which will be on display at the high school.
Marc said that he was happy to get the scholarship and that he was looking forward to starting at the high school next year.
He said that one of his favourite classes in primary school had been art and that he enjoys painting and drawing, and that he would like to one day go into the video games industry.
Healesville Primary School’s acting principal Rebekah Clarke thanked Marc for being a wonderful student at the school and wished him well for his coming years at secondary school.
Marc’s parents Karl Jones and Cassie Agnew said they were proud of Marc’s efforts and that he had received recognition for his good work at the primary school.
In addition to the Tricia O’Reilly Scholarship, Marc also received another financial academic scholarship award from the Healesville High School, which was one of two.
The scholarship is funded by bitumen and transport company Gornroamin Pty Ltd, through the Yarra Valley’s Picone family.