Ricci Marks Award
Ricci Marks Award 2012: Recognising Young Aboriginal Achievers
The achievements of 20 outstanding young Indigenous Victorians have been celebrated at the 16th annual Ricci Marks Awards.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jeanette Powell announced that Benson Saulo from Prahran and Verhonda (Bonnie) Smith from Preston were the recipients of the 2012 Ricci Marks Awards.
Benson Saulo, the first Indigenous Australian to have been appointed as the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, has inspired many young people throughout Australia. Benson is passionate about Indigenous youth leadership and presently holds the position of the National Director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy.
Verhonda (Bonnie) Smith is a student of Indigenous Studies and History at Melbourne University. Bonnie excels in netball and was also captain of the National Indigenous Schoolgirl’s Netball team for two years. Her fundraising efforts for the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program led her to the Kokoda Track and remote Kimberley. Bonnie is motivated to promote health living and uniting the community through sport.
Each recipient receives a $5,000 bursary to support their future learning and development.
This year’s Encouragement Award was presented to Edward (Eddie) Bryant from Shepparton. Eddie was the first Aboriginal student at his primary school to be a School Captain. Eddie excels in sport, the performing arts and has learned Auslan so that he may communicate with friends and family. Eddie aspires to be a strong Indigenous leader and role model for his community.
Nominees for the 16th annual Ricci Marks Award hail from across Victoria, from Geelong to Wodonga.
The award celebrates outstanding achievement amongst Indigenous young people. It is named after the late Ricci Marks, who was a recipient of what was then the Aboriginal Young Achiever Award in 2000.
The Award title was changed to honour him following his death in 2004 at the age of 21.
Ricci Marks Award Recipients 2011 
The outstanding achievements of 12 Victorian Aboriginal young people have been recognised on 19 April 2011 at the annual Ricci Marks Aboriginal Young Achiever Award ceremony.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jeanette Powell announced Greg Kennedy from Reservoir and Samantha Walker from Bendigo as the 2011 Ricci Marks Aboriginal Young Achiever Award recipients. The 2011 Ricci Marks Encouragement Award was presented to Tamika Hayes.
2011 Award Recipients
Greg Kennedy is a rising young leader in the Victorian Aboriginal community. He was born in Perth and grew up in Robinvale. At the age of 16 he moved to Melbourne to join the Aboriginal Footballers Development Program, but found it difficult to continue due to a lack of funds and limited family support in Melbourne. After a short stay Robinvale, he dedicated himself to work and study and moved back to Melbourne where he secured a traineeship in finance at Kangan Institute. Greg is excelling as the Business Development Officer at the Institute, and is now studying a Bachelor of Business (Management) at RMIT. Greg is keen to be a role model for other young Aboriginal people.
Samantha Walker is very active her community, balancing her studies and community involvement with her responsibilities as a young parent. Samantha has completed her VCE and is continuing her studies in Health Services at La Trobe University. Samantha’s personal health issues have encouraged her to pursue a career as an Aboriginal Youth Health Worker to work with young Aboriginal people to promote health and wellbeing. Samantha is known for her commitment to her studies and her extensive voluntary work in many community initiatives and events. She is also the Vice-Chair of the Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, representing her community in statewide forums.
Tamika Hayes is undertaking her Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning at the Swan Hill College and aspires to further her education to qualify for either teacher or nursing. At only 17 years of age she is acknowledged as a devoted student and a role model to her younger peers. Tamika has flourished over the past four years where she has applied herself to achieving in her studies. As an active student, Tamika has organised a number of activities to raise awareness of Aboriginal culture at other local schools. She has also been involved in fundraising, volunteering at the local health service, and assisting in the organisation of a number of youth activities and community education projects.
Nominees for the award, came from communities across Victoria including Bendigo, Wangaratta, Swan Hill, Wedderburn, Wodonga, Warrnambool, East Gippsland and Melbourne.
Visit the Previous Recipients page
Want more information?
Email Petr Svoboda at Aboriginal Affairs Victoria or phone (03) 9208 3255.