Ben Inverno passed away on the 25th of June 2020, aged 22. He attended Buckley Park College along with his two sisters, Lainie and Eliza. He graduated in 2016 after completing his VCE and was DUX in Physics and Further Mathematics.
To keep Ben’s memory alive and to remove the stigma around mental health issues, it is the hope that by offering this financial support, we can ease some of the burden families face in educating our young people.
The Benjamin Inverno Memorial Scholarship Fund is an initiative of Simone Andrewartha, Ben’s mum. Simone and her team recently raised $12,870 for the Black Dog Institute “One Foot Forward Together” walk. Simone is passionate about supporting others and is an Advanced Mental Health First Aider. She also believes that the first step in fighting this disease is to remove the stigma around mental illness and talking about it.
The scholarship will be awarded to a Buckley Park student in Years 10,11 or 12 (in 2026) who exhibits some of the values and character strengths that Ben demonstrated. These include but are not limited to Courage, integrity, gratitude, learning agility, passion, humility, composure, enthusiasm, a team player, foresight, and empathy. A student may either self-nominate, be nominated by another student, or by a staff member. The Benjamin Inverno Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a Buckley Park student who exhibits some of these values and character strengths.
The application should be completed by the nominee and submitted to the Assistant Principal James Stevens of the Later Years st@buckleyparkco.vic.edu.au The due date is Friday 31 October 2025.
The scholarship of $1000 will be available to the recipient as a disbursement towards the cost of their education. This could include fees, textbooks, camps and other educational materials.
The Benjamin Inverno Memorial Scholarship recipient will be announced at the BPC Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 16th December at the Clocktower, Moonee Ponds.
Please see our Assistant Principal James Stevens if you have any questions about the scholarship.
2025 Recipient Speaks about the Award
"Receiving the Ben Inverno Scholarship was an incredible honour that gave me confidence and motivation to keep working towards my goals. For me, it wasn’t just financial support but also a recognition of my hard work and aspirations.
This award has helped ease some of the challenges of school, allowing me to focus on my studies and extracurricular activities. To any Year 9, 10 or 11 students thinking about applying, I would say go for it - you have so much to gain and nothing to lose."
Best wishes, Trang Nguyen