I feel so lucky to be pursuing my passions, and so grateful to AVCAT and Forestville RSL sub-Branch for their support. It means a lot to my mum as a single parent knowing that I am supported and able to continue following my ambitions away from home.
By Sarah Hughes
I am honoured to be the 2022 Forestville RSL Sub-Branch Scholarship recipient.
My maternal grandfather, Robert, served in the 2 Advanced 2nd Echelon Unit in the Australian Army during World War II. He, like many veterans, suffered from PTSD, and struggled with mental health and alcoholism after the war, which he later died from.
Yet through all his hardships he always had a passion for music and art, which he believed to be powerful healers and the key to processing life. It’s something he instilled in my mother and something she instilled in my sister and me. Music and art, alongside my family, have been the biggest influences in my life and have made me who I am, I have my grandfather to thank for that.
Growing up in Armidale NSW I was surrounded by music. I started playing cello at four years old and picked up many instruments along the way. It gave me great opportunities, such as playing with the Australian Symphony Orchestra, being a part of national music programs, and funding my school education through a music scholarship. More than that, the arts allowed me to express myself through difficult times.
I found my love of storytelling through drawing, writing, and making little films with my sister. As an art student, I often think of the Japanese art of kintsugi, or ‘golden healing’: repairing broken objects with gold. It is done to understand that the piece is more beautiful for being broken. Music and art became the gold for my own healing. I think Robert would have loved that.
I am now in my third year at the University of Sydney studying film production and visual arts. I feel so lucky to be pursuing my passions, and so grateful to AVCAT and Forestville RSL sub-Branch for their support. It means a lot to my mum as a single parent knowing that I am supported and able to continue following my ambitions away from home. As a Legacy ward herself during university, she knows how much it helps towards educational expenses.
I still carry parts of my grandfather with me – his ukelele and his old Tchaikovsky and Chopin records, which we both loved. I know he would be so thankful that I am supported and able to pursue the arts.