Impact of Giving: Farley Fonseca Scholarship

THE FARLEY FONSECA SCHOLARSHIP WAS CREATED IN 2020 BY ADRIAN FONSECA AND NANCY REARDON-FONSECA, TO ASSIST A FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT FROM NEW SOUTH WALES WITH FINANCIAL NEED TO COME TO COLLEGE. WE SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT THEIR CONNECTION TO ST ANDREW’S, THEIR PASSION FOR EDUCATION AND THEIR PHILSOPHIES ON GIVING.

Adrian and Nancy, could you please tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you came to be connected with St Andrew’s College?

We live in Bellevue Hill in Sydney and have three fantastic children – Alex, Sophia and Olivia. We lived overseas for nine years – four years in London and five years in Singapore. After returning to Australia in 2012 we established Oxanda Education – a child care and early education operator in NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Adrian attended Ormond College (thanks to philanthropy) and as a result of our involvement with the education sector are passionate about education generationally and how it can change lives. St Andrew’s College and Ormond College are sister colleges. We’ve donated to Ormond College but as we live in Sydney wanted to establish a relationship with a Sydney residential College and St Andrew’s was a perfect fit.

Together you own and operate Oxanda Education, where you work to deliver outstanding childcare and early education services. Nancy, you also founded Paths to Purpose, an organisation that offers a series of equine assisted learning programs to assist individuals with life skills including communication, leadership and teamwork. Education is clearly an area that you are passionate in creating a positive impact in. Could you share with us why you do what you do and where your passion for education comes from?

Education created opportunities and pathways for both of us and opened many doors. We are where we are today thanks to those who sacrificed and gave generously so that we could be well educated. Our children and generations that follow will benefit thanks to the generosity of others.

We are passionate about delivering leading edge early education centres. Our mission is to instil in children a passion for, and love of learning and secure early learning gains that stay with children throughout their learning journey and into adulthood. Child care used to be about child minding, but today is about so much more. Today there’s a real focus on philosophies relating to development of the whole child. Our vision is to deliver an environment where children can develop and grow and take those learnings forward and through what we do feel confident, skilled and inspired. Creating that change and delivering that impact is what we’re here to do and being involved in that way fills us with a lot of joy.

Nancy’s area in particular creates seismic shifts. Through this work and thanks to her programs, children (a number with learning difficulties) are able to connect with their passions, be more centred and find their calling. The changes that ensue are really quite extraordinary.

So the passion comes from what we can know is possible.

What drives your philanthropy? What motivates and inspires your family to give?

A strong sense of pay it forward. As we said, we’ve both benefited from generosity, sacrifice and philanthropy. This inspires us to give back / pay forward / do the same. We encourage it in our children so that they may do the same. It gives us a lot of pleasure to be able to do so, create impact

L-R: Nancy Reardon-Fonseca, Grace Hyde (Fr 2022) - one of the 2022 Farley Fonseca Scholarship recipients, Hannah Atwell (Director of Advancement) and Adrian Fonseca at the University & Schools Dinner in May 2022.

and create change.

In 2022 we celebrate 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at College and your scholarship is just one of two new scholarships recently established for female students. What made you want to establish the ‘Farley Fonseca Scholarship’ in order to support a female undergraduate student with financial need to come to College?

We’re very passionate about female opportunities and pathways. We have two amazing daughters. We have 500 plus incredible employees at Oxanda Education and 99% are female. We want all of those phenomenal ladies to feel they live in a world of endless opportunities and that today the opportunities and pathways for females are as strong as ever and as prominent as those for males. While things are changing for the positive, more can be done. This is one step. We’re happy and proud to have been able to take this step with St Andrew’s and hope more steps will be taken across the community.

What do you think is the most important work that colleges do? And what do you hope St Andrew’s College (and its students) will achieve in the future?

It’s about three things (a) the experiences – educational, co-curricular and social; (b) relationships and networks formed and (c) the self-development that comes from being in College. We hope students have a fantastic time in College, make lifelong friendships and use the time in College to work out what their best life looks like and then go into the world post College and vigorously pursue their best life – however it looks to them.

What would you say to encourage someone to support St Andrew’s College?

College life gives young adults unparalleled opportunities. It can be the most meaningful time in someone’s life and create wins that are passed on for numerous generations. That’s more than powerful. A gift of this kind has a significant multiplier effect, and we absolutely encourage it. Speak to those (like Adrian) who have experienced the benefits of philanthropy. You will be moved to do the same.

The Advancement Office would like to thank Adrian and Nancy for their support and for taking the time to share their story with us.