Oscar is a young man with a very mature attitude and a very promising future. He’s currently in third year of a degree in Agricultural Science at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and should complete his studies in 2015.
He comes from a family very involved in the Catholic Church. Born in Launceston and now living at Howden, Oscar started school at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Launceston, attended St Aloysius Catholic School, Kingston, from Grade 1, spent grades 7-10 at St Vigil’s College, Austins Ferry, and completed his senior secondary education at Guilford Young College (GYC) in Hobart.
He has taken many opportunities provided through his education for service and leadership, including being involved with St Vincent de Paul groups; as School Captain at St Aloysius and College Captain at GYC, and as a member of the Catholic Students’ Society at the university. He has been particularly influenced by charism of the Christian Brothers while attending St Virgil’s and GYC.
After completing Grade 12, Oscar decided he’d like a year away from study and was inspired by visiting Christian Brother Damian Price who told him, “The only journey that really matters is the journey of the heart.” A chance meeting with visiting Tanzanian Priest, Fr Eusebius, encouraged Oscar to travel to Africa in 2011 where he volunteered at the Edmund Rice School in Fr Eusebius’ home town of Arusha.
Oscar fell in love with Africa and realised that though the world is not what it should be, the change needs to come from within. Oscar is completing his Bachelor of Agricultural Science Degree and plans to put his skills to good use the next time he visits Africa.