Wednesday 31 May 2023

• 2023 Trevor Gerber SYD100 scholarship recipient announced
• SYD100 awarded annually from 2020 for 100 years
• Scholarship aimed at supporting under-represented groups in aviation industry

Sydney Airport is thrilled to announce the 2023 recipient of the Trevor Gerber SYD100 Scholarship is Timothy Walker, a proud Indigenous man from the Dharug people of the Hawkesbury region.

18-year-old Timothy is a first year Bachelor of Aviation Management student at the University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW) and was awarded the scholarship from a competitive field of high-quality applicants.

“The Trevor Gerber SYD100 Scholarship means so much to me. Being able to study at university and be an open proud Indigenous man is incredibly important when so many of my ancestors, even my grandma, were never able to share their Indigenous identity out of fear.

“It shows that no matter what background or heritage you come from, anything is possible, especially for First Nations individuals. It also highlights how important education is to success,” he said.

Timothy’s love of air travel was sparked when he was a young boy and his dad took him on regular trips to watch planes take-off and land at Sydney Airport.

“The excitement of the trip to the airport and the idea of waiting, going up in the sky and to be in another country in a few hours made me fall in love with aviation,” Timothy Walker said.

While his passion was initially flying, his focus shifted to aviation management, and he dreams of one day having a job where he can be involved in running an airport.

Sydney Airport first introduced the Trevor Gerber SYD100 scholarship in 2020, in honour of the airport’s centenary and will award one full scholarship every year for a century.

The scholarship supports under-represented groups in the aviation industry, including people with diverse cultural and socio-economic background, women and Indigenous students.

Sydney Airport CEO, Geoff Culbert, said: “We are committed to fostering the next generation of aviation leaders and are thrilled to be awarding the 2023 SYD100 scholarship to Timothy.”

“Like so many of us here at Sydney Airport, Timothy has the aviation bug, and that passion will help him thrive in this dynamic industry.

“The scholarship is aimed at supporting under-represented groups in the aviation industry. Timothy is our first Indigenous scholarship recipient, and we’re extremely proud to supporting him on his journey.”

As an extension of the scholarship, Sydney Airport has also introduced an internship program to support previous recipients by providing valuable, hands-on experience.

After completing a 10-week internship in our operations teams in 2022, inaugural SYD100 recipient, Manmeet Kaur, has now joined the Sydney Airport team as a full-time employee after graduating from UNSW.

“The entire experience, from receiving the scholarship, to completing the internship, and now being part of the team has been incredible. Working at Sydney Airport is a dream come true, and I’m so thankful my mentors at the airport who have encouraged and guided me each step of the way,” said Manmeet Kaur.

Professor Brett Molesworth, Head of UNSW Aviation said: “It’s wonderful to see the partnership between Sydney Airport and the university lead to genuine employment opportunities for our students.”

Note to Editor

Photos of Timothy Walker, Geoff Culbert and Trevor Gerber are available here.

The scholarship was renamed the Trevor Gerber SYD100 scholarship in 2021 to honour the contribution of Sydney Airport’s former chair, Trevor Gerber, who served on the board of the airport for almost two decades.

Honour Roll – Trevor Gerber SYD100 Scholarship

2023 – Timothy Walker
2022 – Jessie Huynh
2021 – Hoang Thai Tran
2020 – Manmeet Kaur