THE SYDNEY SUPPORTERS WELCOME: INSIDE GO’S FIRST EVENT OF 2026
1st April 2026
What does it look like to step into the world of a GO Scholar? Through a series of interactive workshops, guests experienced just that.
In February, we kicked off the year by welcoming close to 100 members of our community to GO’s first event of 2026 – the Supporters’ Welcome at Sydney Swans HQ on Gadigal Country.
The evening opened with a warm welcome from our Chair, Sonja Stewart, and MC for the night, Scholarships Program Manager Jay Wathen. Sonja set the tone with words that stayed with many of us long after the event ended.
“We need to be asking ourselves what it means to be the best we can be for the next generation. We’re only here for a short period of time so let’s be impactful.”
This year, GO introduced an interactive format across three workshops, designed to give supporters an insight into the Program and initiatives delivered to Scholars.
Workshop One: A Day in the Life
Led by Scholarships Program Managers Jaleesa Levaci (Donovan), Jay Wathen and Tyran Hill, this session immersed guests in the world of a GO Scholar.
Jaleesa provided an overview of the GO Program, followed by Jay sharing a vlog offering a behind-the-scenes look at school visits. Tyran wrapped up the session by speaking about the importance of being strong in culture, and how language plays a big role in that.
Guests were even treated to a language game, where everyone learnt words in Kaurna language. It was a moment for everyone to experience firsthand how culture can be shared in both fun and meaningful ways – and there was no shortage of laughter!
Workshop Two: Impact and What’s Ahead
Our CEO Charlene Davison and Deputy CEO Mark Heiss led the second workshop.
Charlene highlighted GO’s 2025 Impact Report, sharing key achievements including growth in university scholarships, 62% of awards going to women and girls, five years of impact in Canberra, and the inaugural Careers Experience Day.
To help everyone absorb the information, Mark finished up with a memory exercise that got supporters reflecting on what stood out most from Charlene’s talk. It was a great way to bring the numbers and Scholar stories to life, and to celebrate the role of GO’s supportive community.
Workshop Three: Cultural Experience
Service delivery partner Paul Sinclair from Mirri Mirri led the final workshop by exploring what it means to be an Elder and how art carries stories and meaning.
There were also discussions about how cultures can seem unfamiliar or even strange when not understood – explained with a funny example: an old man who breaks into houses to leave children presents. When you describe Santa like that, it sounds pretty wild!
Not only did this workshop give an inside look at what Scholars and Alumni experience at Culture Connect Days, but everyone left with a greater appreciation for culture, storytelling and the perspectives Scholars bring to their learning.
Photo Gallery
Co-founders Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin closed out the night with a heartfelt thanks to the community that has stood beside GO over the years.
“We’re two boys who dreamt of doing it big and now we hope to support others to do the same. And we’re lucky as founders to find all these people who believe and support our mission of empowering First Nations youth through education,” said Adam.
“It’s so important to raise others up with us. This is one of the best things we will do in our lives,” added Mick.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us – your support continues to empower Scholars and make GO’s impact possible.