Rhodes Scholars

Rowan Trebilco

2007 Rhodes Scholar

Rowan Trebilco is remembered at Friends' as a good bloke. Sometimes called Big Rowan and sometimes Little Rowan at School. He played field hockey, underwater hockey and badminton. He excelled at hacky-sack and enjoyed his studies, especially science. Rowan, on leaving Friends', described his ambition as being to live and he has certainly set upon that path well.

Rowan's love of marine studies has been matched by his love of water sports. He is a scuba diver, white water rafter and has represented Tasmania and Australia in underwater hockey. On land he bush walks and cycles.

Rowan, who received 18 high distinctions in his University studies, also received a University Medal. He graduated with first class honours in zoology in 2004.

Rowan spent 14 months studying elephant seals and albatross on Herd Island (see previous issues of Focus). Rowan has left Tasmania to travel to Macquarie Island as part of a DPIW conservation project team studying albatross during summer. Rowan will leave for Oxford to take up his Rhodes Scholarship mid 2008.

Editor's note: Rowan's sister, Jess Trebilco, was Tasmanian 2003 Rhodes Scholar.

Edward Alexander

2005 Rhodes Scholar

Ted Alexander came to Friends' in 1993. He followed his father James (1963) and his sisters, Judy (1994) and Cathy (1995). All three had been active members of the School community and shown a wide range of enthusiasms and interests.

Ted's family connections with the School actually go back further. Cynthia Alexander (Johnson), his grandmother, had attended Clemes and his great grandfather, Eric Johnson (1912) had attended Friends'. Another family connection is his Aunt Christine (Kit) Hiller.

Ted continued at Friends' the family trait of enthusiam and interest. Teachers remember him as a lively, outgoing and spontaneous student who was articulate and of positive outlook. He was a student of outstanding ability and his enquiring mind allowed him to pursue studies to great depth.

Ted was a member of School Debating Teams from 1993-1998. He also had success in Public Speaking, winning the Year 10 Mary Stanfield Speaking Competition and the Eastern Shore Esiteddfod. Ted participated in Youth Parliament and the National United Nations Youth Assembly as a Tasmanian Representative. He involved himself in Service activities such as Walk Against Want and Forty Hour Famine.

Ted was involved in a range of extra curricular sporting activities including Basketball, Soccer, Badminton and Cricket. He also played Real Tennis.

Ted not only played sport enthusiastically, but he also coached and refereed basketball. He is remembered for his support of School Basketball and was awarded a Service to Sport award in 1996 and jointly won the Jean Yeates Award for Service to Sport in 1998.

Ted enjoyed Drama and enthusiastically participated in School productions. He took part in Under Milkwood, Visions of Vietnam and a Midsummer Night's Dream.

Ted went on to the University of Tasmania where he achieved outstanding results and where he was active in the broad range of interests, productions, sport and student politics. He became President of the Students Union, and jointly founded Edge radio, a community station for youth.

Jessica Trebilco

2002 Rhodes Scholar

We honour Jessica Trebilco, Tasmanian Rhodes Scholar for 2002.

Jess Trebilco (1998) spent two busy senior secondary years at Friends' where she came on a scholarship after achieving dux of Ogilvie High. Jess was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for her Year 11 results and achieved a TCE score of 100 before moving on to the University of Tasmania where she undertook a Bachelor of Science.

In 1997, under the supportive care of her Friends' biology teacher, Mary Beadle, Jess sat the initial national qualifying exam for preselection which led to her participation in the prestigious International Biology Olympiad held in 1997 in Kiel, Germany. Jess distinguished herself there, winning a gold medal.

A wonderful scholar, Jess had broad interests. She took part in, and won, the School's 1997 Ray Green Public Speaking Contest, and went on to become the 1997 winner of Lions Youth of the Year, she also won the 1998 Plain English Speaking Competition. Jess took part in debating and the 1997 drama production, Visions of Vietnam. She was also a member of School hockey and soccer teams and a committed member of the School Service Committee.

Outside school interests were and have continued to be varied, they include music and bushwalking, diving and rafting.

Jess is remembered as an engaging, mature and well-mannered young woman, who carries her many talents with great modesty.