When the city of Geelong had something to celebrate, Deakin Bachelor of Arts '04 graduate Allison Murphy was on the front foot using her journalism training to help spread the word.
Upon graduating, Allison, known as Alli to her family and friends, worked across a variety of sectors and roles, including as a media adviser to former Victorian Senator The Honorary Judith Troeth AM, Honorary Doctorate '17, before establishing her own strategic communications firm in 2004.
For a decade, Alli tirelessly promoted her beloved city as new infrastructure and developments came to fruition – among them the construction of the Geelong Ring Road, the expansion of Avalon Airport and the opening of Deakin’s Medical School. Sadly, Alli passed away in 2014, aged 42.
The Geelong community rallied behind Alli’s husband and three children and raised funds to create a scholarship in her honour.
Offered each year since 2015, the Allison Murphy Memorial Scholarship supports young women studying politics, media or marketing at Deakin.
Coral Reeve, a Deakin Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) '24 graduate, was the inaugural recipient. A proud Gunditjmara woman from Warrnambool, Coral grew up in Melbourne prior to moving to Geelong, completing her Bachelor of Arts majoring in journalism with the support of Deakin’s NIKERI Institute.
'It's an entirely different ballpark once you're in amongst Mob, with all of that support and building connections and things like that,' she says.
With the arrival of her son during her studies, the scholarship made a huge difference.
'I didn't realise at that point how much of an impact the scholarship would have,' Coral shares.
While a scholarship provides vital financial assistance, it also empowers the recipient to realise their potential, build important networks and become an inspiration for others.
It (the scholarship) was really beneficial. I was able to get a new laptop and get my son a new bed as he desperately needed one, and some clothes for myself that weren't from an op shop.
Coral Reeve
Deakin Master of Arts (Writing and Literature)
Image: Allison Murphy Memorial Scholarship inaugural recipient Coral Reeve receiving her scholarship in 2014. Photo by Glenn Ferguson/Newspix
In 2016, Coral met former Prime Minister The Honorary Julia Gillard AC when Ms Gillard received an Honorary Doctorate from Deakin.
Following graduation, Coral decided to return to university to complete a Master of Arts, Writing and Literature. She has encouraged the next generation of Indigenous students as an Academic Fellow at NIKERI and Aboriginal Learning Engagement Officer through Federation University at Barwon Prison.
She has also been shortlisted for writing prizes and contributed reviews and poems as a First Nations editor of an online magazine. Her goal is to establish her own First Nations-specific editing and proofreading business.
The instinct to tell and share stories has always been a part of Coral’s life, including as a means of therapy during challenging times.
'I'd be minding my own business, doing the dishes, going for a walk and then these words would just come to my brain. And then as soon as I started writing, the poem would be there,' she says.
In 2024, the Allison Murphy Memorial Scholarship marked 10 years of transforming lives.
Committee members Peter Dorling, Diane James, Justin Giddings, Mark Osborne, Helene Bender, Kate Betts, Michael King and James Bairdare are dedicated to ensuring even more lives will be transformed over the next 10.
'For the Geelong community the Alli Murphy scholarship achieves two important objectives. Firstly, to honour the life and legacy of this remarkable and dynamic woman, and secondly to help scholarship recipients pursue their educational dreams in the spirit of Alli Murphy,' explains committee member Peter Dorling.
The Deakin Achieving Potential Scholarship Fund supports scholarships that prioritise equity and opportunity, providing greater access to education for talented students, regardless of their background.
