Dare to Dream Scholarship Awarded To Aspiring Business Leader

Elliott Prasad from West Pennant Hills has faced many challenges since he was diagnosed with bone cancer, but the determined teen has thrown himself into his studies to achieve his goal of studying a Bachelor of Commerce and working in business. He is one of eight inspiring young Australians to be awarded a Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship.

Diagnosed when he was 16, Elliott missed almost 18 months of school, but it was his drive to succeed and gain a place at university that kept him going.

The Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship was established to inspire young people whose physical or mental health has been affected by cancer, to achieve their goals and ambitions. This scholarship, funded by Coles, helps young people build their future and can be put towards education or life goals.

After undergoing 28 rounds of chemotherapy, five surgeries and multiple infections, Elliott was at an all-time low.

“Many of my surgeries resulted in me being bed-bound for months at a time and it was lonely. Currently, 80 per cent of the internal structure of my leg is titanium and plastic, which makes it extremely difficult to move around. I am in a leg brace for the foreseeable future, which makes it hard to mentally move forward from my treatment.

“I have not let this physical burden stop me, however. I have tried to be diligent with my studies and make up for all the months off school. This degree means more than the world to me as I know that once I graduate, the worse part of my life is officially over and I can move on with the bigger parts of my dreams,” he said.

Elliott’s mum Tania said the Dare to Dream Scholarship will allow her son to study his chosen course at Macquarie University and go on to work in business.

“If you ask anyone what they think of Elliott, I suspect they’d say determined, compassionate and a leader. He is now focused on gaining ground on all the work he has missed and completing year 12. This scholarship will assist him with tuition fees and assist with the cost of a modified vehicle to accommodate his disability,” she said.

Since 2013, Redkite and Coles have awarded more than $650,000 in Dare to Dream Scholarships to support young Australians whose aspirations and goals have been impacted by their cancer diagnosis.