Student Highlights
Tennyson's brush with academia opens a world of opportunity thanks to Open Foundation

Tennyson had an unconventional start to his university experience. Finishing the HSC at 16 years old, he worked as an artist for a decade before deciding to take on a different career.

“Open Foundation seemed like a great way to start my journey into academia,” he said.

Having a long-lasting interest in the academic fields of writing, poetry, history and philosophy, Tennyson found comfort and support in discussing his interests with the Open Foundation teachers and felt a common connection with others in the program.

“My teachers were so open to discussing academic subject matters with me, and I felt a huge sense of relief that I wasn’t alone in the world. Because of them, coming to university has felt like a return to a place I belong, after a long trek in the benighted wilderness,” he said.

Feeling ready to take on a degree in arts, Tennyson believes Open Foundation has given him the knowledge and foundation he needed to succeed in his future studies.

“Open Foundation was instrumental in reinforcing and further developing my knowledge,” he said.

Reflecting on his educational journey, Tennyson recalls a highlight of his program was receiving the Ma and Morley Scholarship for Academic Excellence and the possibilities this created.

“Receiving the Ma & Morley Scholarship has been the key highlight of my Open Foundation experience. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity it affords me to travel overseas, connect with other cultures, and broaden my horizons,” he said.

Tennyson’s future in academia is looking bright. He hopes to continue studying and to turn his passion for art and philosophy into a career educating and developing others.

“I don’t plan to finish studying; I feel compelled to continue learning for as long as I can. To that end, I hope to eventually obtain a professorship somewhere,” he said.

From his own experiences, Tennyson has inspired others to start their university journey and found this to be just as rewarding as his own success.

“My journey has influenced a friend of mine to try his hand at university through Open Foundation. Knowing that my actions have inclined somebody else towards self-betterment is certainly a rewarding feeling,” he said.

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Tennyson Delarosa

Having an unconventional start to university, Tennyson Delarosa has found his place and is pursuing his passion to educate others.

My teachers were so open to discussing academic subject matters with me, and I felt a huge sense of relief that I wasn’t alone in the world. Because of them, coming to university has felt like a return to a place I belong, after a long trek in the benighted wilderness.