Mario and Dereace play America

Mario liked the spicy Buffalo chicken wings; Dereace enjoyed the homestays with American families. Mario’s Toronto-based grandfather travelled to the United States for a visit and Dereace pondered the difference between New York City and Perth: the buildings were taller, the streets dirtier, and there seemed to be a mismatch between photos of the city and the grittier, smellier reality. 

Both young men, year 12 students at Melbourne’s Yiramalay Studio School, have been the recipients of Nipper Tabagee Scholarships. The scholarships were used to assist them to cover some of the costs of a three-week cultural and basketball exchange to America, where they visited cities including Buffalo, Washington DC, Syracuse, Albany and New York.

The basketball was a highlight, particularly learning to play as a cohesive team with the other students. They found the American school teams tough opponents, and were blown away by the standard of an NBA game, where they spied retired NBA superstar Dominic Wilkins in the crowd, a player regarded as one of the best dunkers in NBA history. 

All in all, it was an eye-opening trip, and Mario and Dereace are grateful for KRED’s support. 

We wish them the best of luck for year twelve! 

Should you be interested in applying for a Nipper Tabagee Scholarship, we welcome applications from Kimberley Aboriginal people who wish to pursue educational, artistic or sporting endeavours. Please follow the instructions on the scholarships page on our website to apply.