Meet Sietara (Tara) Mahshar
Meet Sietara (Tara) Mahshar
Tara commenced with the Harding Miller Scholarship program in 2018 and graduated last year. She was a high achieving student at Chifley College, Dunheved Campus. This is a school in Western Sydney with a very low socio-economic background. Her parents had limited English as they came from war-torn Afghanistan. Adapting to Australian life was hard for the family, due to their limited English and trauma they had endured as they had experienced war, upheaval and resettlement in a foreign country.
Tara was an exemplary scholar throughout the four years of the scholarship. She ended up being School Captain and Dux of her School in 2021. Tara is currently studying at the University of New South Wales and doing a Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
Tara is an outstanding young women who is now mentoring students from her community. The scholarship has set Tara up for life and success.
In her words:
“I’m currently in my first year of a Bachelor of Laws/Philosophy, Politics and Economics at UNSW. Despite my degree, I have a deep connection to Education because of the HMEF scholarship. As a young woman who comes from an Afghan background, education is very dear to me and the HMEF scholarship solidified this. This scholarship has encouraged me to do great things. It has boosted my confidence which allowed me to become School Captain in Year 10 and then again in Year 12. It led me to many leadership awards and involvement in programs such as the Youth Parliament. Most importantly, it has encouraged me to use education as a way to give back to my community. I grew up in a community where students are disadvantaged. Education can really help children overcome these disadvantages and I can confidently say that, with the help of HMEF, I am an example of a student who has overcome these disadvantages and challenges in my path. Now, I work at a low-socio economic school as a COVID tutor, giving other children a chance to shine, just like HMEF helped me shine. I am hopeful that this degree will help me to continue this work in the future. I am very grateful to HMEF because without them, I would not have had the confidence to do the work I have done up until now.”
Year 9 photo
Tara now
We have shared Tara’s story because it was kind people like you that have changed her life through the Harding Miller Education Foundation. That is why we must continue to raise money to fund new scholarships so we can give high achieving girls like Tara the same opportunities. Will you help by donating now (link to donate now) or sharing our story with colleagues, family and friends so we can continue to give worthy girls the same opportunity as Tara. We currently have 50 girls on our highly commended / waiting list for scholarships.
Be Kind Sydney Campaign – Sydney Community Foundation
We are thrilled to announce that the Harding Miller Education Foundation is taking part in the @SydneyCommunityFoundation @BeKindSydney campaign, a collective effort to support Sydneysiders doing it tough. Donate to the Foundation now to support a girl in need!
Meet Isabella Ennever – Class of 2021 scholar
UPDATE JANUARY 2022:
HSC HONOUR ROLE 2021 – Congratulations to Isabella who is a Distinguished Achiever (achieved a mark of 90 or above) in Biology, Investigating Science, Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Advanced.
Isabella has just completed her HSC and was Vice Captain at Casino High School. She is an exceptional student and was placed first in all of her subjects and was dux of the year. Isabella has been awarded dux every year since Year 7. This year she also participated in Professor Henry Messel International Science School and the National Youth Science Forum.
Isabella is planning on being the first person in her family to attend university and has already received a conditional offer for Griffith University to study a Bachelor of Medical Science degree. In 2021, she participated in the Griffith University Future Leaders Retreat, received a Community Recognition Statement from the NSW Parliament for Academic and Leadership achievement, a Minister’s Award for Excellence in Student Achievement and was the Casino Lion’s Youth of the Year which recognises cultural, educational and leadership pursuits. In 2019, selected as 1 of only 16 students selected for a study tour on Lizard Island, She was the 2020 NSW Country to Canberra Award Winner, from Careers with Stem,
“The Harding Miller Scholarship has provided me with incredible financial support and security that has enabled me to better focus on my education and obtain a variety of academic goals. My success during high school, which was enhanced by the Harding Miller Scholarship and its role in reducing the financial pressure on my single-parent household, has given me the confidence and self-belief to follow a career in Aerospace Medicine. As well as the economic benefits, the laptop has allowed me to be efficient and organised with my schoolwork and has been a vital tool that has assisted me in excelling academically. For many years, the reliable data and the mobility of the laptop ensured that I was able to continue travelling around NSW and Queensland to compete in [sporting] events while not being disadvantaged with my education. Additionally, the Harding Miller Scholarship created many opportunities that has allowed me to overcome the physical barriers of living rurally and the low access to educational resources. Experiences such as the workshop with the Girls in Tech Movement has solidified my vision for a future in science and has broadened my perspective of science communication as a career pathway.”
Keep an eye out for Isabella in the future – we know she is destined for great things!
Scholarship update
In 2021, the Foundation received over 550 applications from motivated girls in need of a scholarship. It has been a very rigorous and difficult task to select the scholarship recipients due to the high number of outstanding applications. Thank you to the judges who were part of this process.
We received applications from students in more than 200 schools located in every state and territory in Australia except the ACT. Of the new students awarded a scholarship:
• 19% are first nations girls
• 31% of the scholarships are based in rural and regional Australia
• 8% have experienced or are experiencing out of home care (foster care)
• 10% of the new girls have a refugee background from a total of 43% of the students who come from a family with non-English speaking background.
Thanks to the generosity of the donors, we are in a position to award 160 new scholarships. That means in 2022 the Harding Miller Education Scholarship Program welcomed the largest group of new students to the program bringing the total scholarship program to more than 510 students, which is a record for us.
All scholarship packs were sent out by early 2022. Each year we are adding options and resources for the students to enable them to further customise their scholarship to support them in the way that meets their needs and helps them achieve their ambitions.
In 2021, we added additional online and in person enrichment activities to the calendar, published a Year 10 subject selection guide, introduced career profiling for Year 11 students and provided a new membership to Study Work Grow career resource to all year groups. It is also the second year accessing Study Skills, JobJump and our HMEF APP. Pascal Press have also donated $60 or $100 vouchers to all of the students for the 2nd consecutive year. These tools are added to our existing scholarship offering which includes a high quality laptop, data, remote IT support, tutoring, a prepaid card for school expenses, online homework help and, very importantly, support from a volunteer personal coach.
Last year also saw some active involvement from our Alumni, including the launch of ARK (Anti-Racism Kit) by Sabina Patawaran who was one of our 2020 graduates from Riverside Girls High School in Sydney. It is a toolkit of strategies and information to help high school students understand racism and combat it within their communities. It is also aimed at creating change within their schools.
We recently held our Scholarship Award ceremonies for our Year 9 scholars. These award ceremonies were held in Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane. We had some inspiring keynote speakers, the scholars took part in exciting events and workshops and they all met new friends.
Cara Varian, Executive Director of Harding Miller Education Foundation, gave a motivating speech emphasising the importance of scholars making the most of all the opportunities they are offered through their scholarship and encouraging them to create their own peer network by staying in touch and supporting each other.
We are very proud of all our scholars and look forward to supporting them on their journey with the Foundation.
Rozelle Interchange Project site visit
On Monday, 22 November 2021, we were invited to have a tour of the Rozelle Interchange Project which connects the extended M4 and the New M5 to the Anzac Bridge and Victoria Road in Sydney. The interchange will be a new underground motorway interchange to the City West Link and provide an underground bypass of Victoria Road. The Rozelle Interchange Project are great supporters of the local community and businesses across Sydney.
The Rozelle Interchange Project have been generous donors of the Foundation and we are delighted that they have announced another full scholarship donation for 2022.
The site tour was a great afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended including our founders, Kim Harding and Irene Miller; our Scholarship Manager, Caroline Hill and HMEF scholarship student, Annabella Granato to whom Rozelle Interchange Project currently supports. It was wonderful to meet the project team including Steven Keyser, Project Director; John Crane, Support Services Director; Steve Kiddle, Surface Works Director; Sara Galloway, Senior HR Advisor and Stephen Antonopoulos, Communications Manager.
We are so very grateful to our fabulous donors, like the Rozelle Interchange Project, as without them we could not support our girls in overcoming hardship to achieve their academic potential and to build a prosperous and successful career.
Supporting Queensland Girls Education
Supporting Queensland Girls To Excel
It’s not by chance that the Quinn Femelle Foundation, a Queensland based private, family foundation chose to collaborate with Harding Miller. They were actively researching Australian scholarship programs that would focus on providing educational support for girls across Queensland – high potential girls that is, who are from low socio economic circumstances.
Harding Miller, established in 2015 is the premier scholarship program for girls across Australia. It is the most generous academic program of it’s kind, having awarded over 600, 4 year, $20,000 scholarships to girls since inception. HMEF has built a model that empowers philanthropists to make a valuable and evidence base difference through their giving. It is unquestionable and identified by the UN sustainable development goals, that supporting the next generation of women to advance will see future systemic and societal improvements globally.
Harding Miller is focused on establishing formidable partnerships that aim to rewrite the future for Australian girls in need. We are an Australian Public Benevolent organisation established with the clear purpose to show indisputable impact, both for our scholars and at the broader systemic and societal level. Deep, inter-generational, positive impact – we’re in it for the long haul, says Cara Varian, HMEF’s Executive Director.
2020 was the first year of the HMEF/Quinn alliance which resulted in 25 Queensland state school students beginning their 4 year, $20,000 scholarships in Year 9. In 2021 the Quinn’s supported 30 more girls and every year for the foreseeable future, Queensland will see at least 25 girls a year receive these life changing opportunities.
One of the Quinn Femelle scholars is Kya Dulhunty from Bribie Island State High School. “The school award I received for 2020 was the Academic Excellence Award. This is awarded to the top 10% of students at each year level. ” Kya wants to study Anthropology at University and is a straight A student.
Scholarship support begins with the essential tools and resources needed to make the most of their education. “It’s a fallacy that public education is free, says Cara, the cost of technology, data, textbooks, uniforms, school excursions, sport participation and other extra curricular activities all adds up and can easily enter the thousands of dollars. Multiply that by the number of siblings in the family and suddenly the financial strain for some families becomes untenable and its the kids that miss out who suffer the most.
What Is A Corporate Scholarship – Tell Me More!
What Is A HMEF Corporate Scholarship?
We’d like to introduce you to one of our corporate donors, Online Marketing Gurus. 
In 2020 OMG partnered with HMEF to establish the ‘Online Marketing Gurus Education Scholarship’ for bright disadvantaged girls in government high schools across Australia.
Through their generosity two incredible young women are now entering their second year of a HMEF scholarship and absolutely nailing their studies!
Congratulations Khawlah and Britany.
Interested in getting your business involved with Harding Miller? Click here for more information and to make an online enquiry,
HMEF Business Donor – Australian Wedding Rings
A small business owner makes a big impact through educational support
We’d like to introduce you to one of our small business donors, Alex Hernandez from Australian Wedding Rings.
Watch this video to learn more about Alex and the reasons why she donates to HMEF.
Interested in getting your business involved with Harding Miller? Click here for more information and to make an online enquiry,
The HMEF Team Raises Support In the 2020 Virtual City2Surf
The HMEF gals raising $$ for a 2021 scholarship
We donned our best sports wear and hit the inner west of Sydney to run a combined 14kms in the virtual City2Surf.
Our efforts were not in vain with an end result of just under $1K towards a scholarship for 2021.
Just in case you need an introduction – the lady in red is our leader, Cara Varian and from the right we have Caroline Hill, Patricia Glackin, Lisa Wood and Melinda Zanello.
Together we are in our fifth year of operating the Harding Miller scholarship program across Australia.
Where Your Donation Goes And How It Helps
This Is Exactly Where Your Donation Goes And How It Helps
A Harding Miller scholarship donation is the most direct way for philanthropists around the world to support the increase in education for girls throughout Australia. Harding Miller scholarships are available to girls in all of Australia’s states and territories, meaning that no girl will be left behind in receiving the financial aid and social support required to complete their education, for a better chance at life.
As a fully registered Australian Charity, the Harding Miller Education Foundation offers complete transparency to its donors so you can be sure of exactly where your donation is going 100% of the time.
How Your Donation Helps Girls Receive an Education
By being awarded a Harding Miller Education Foundation academic scholarship, girls are not only given the tools and resources that they need to complete their high school studies, but to build direct pathways to tertiary and further education in the future. Multiple studies have shown the positive effects on disrupting the poverty cycle from girls receiving a quality education. Our purpose at the Harding Miller Education Foundation is to provide resources, both financial and social, that girls from low socio-economic and disadvantaged backgrounds need to achieve their goals.
The Harding Miller educational scholarship is a 4-year program supporting girls in public high schools around Australia from Year 9, through to the completion of Year 12. The scholarship program allocates donations directly to the girls in the program to ensure that they have all the tools required for a successful high school career.
How Your Donation is Distributed
When you donate towards a Harding Miller educational scholarship, you can be assured that 100% of your donation is going directly to the girls in the scholarship program. Foundation running costs are funded under a separate corpus, so there is no need for concern that your donation is being misdirected. Scholarship donations are used to cover the costs of girls attending public high school in Australia and can be dispersed for many of the costs associated with studying including:
- Purchase of computers
- Internet running costs
- Money for essential equipment
- Subscription to an online study help provider
- Annual fees for additional online tutoring
In addition to the financial resources provided through donation, the Harding Miller Education Foundation also provides personal coaching and mentoring to each girl, from a team of volunteer coaches, for the duration of her scholarship.
How Your Donation Makes a Difference in Young Lives
Girls are proven to earn up to 25% more income for each year of additional education they complete, and they are much more likely to invest in their children’s education in the future. Your donation to the Harding Miller scholarship program directly assists us in providing educational opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to young girls, at the very foundation of their educational career.
The selection criteria for a Harding Miller Education Foundation scholarship focuses on girls with high academic potential who are experiencing disadvantage, to aid them in overcoming social and financial limitations. Providing an educational scholarship to girls in these kinds of situations helps to level the playing field with peers who are more socio-economically advantaged; effectively working towards closing the gap for disadvantaged students in receiving a quality education.
Change a Life and Donate Today
Donating towards a Harding Miller scholarship is giving the gift of knowledge to young minds all around Australia. Whether your donation is a single gift of support, an ongoing family or community scholarship, or a corporate giving exercise, every single dollar received helps towards changing a girl’s life for the better. Support the growing movement for the education of girls around the world and donate to a Harding Miller educational scholarship today.
