Jonathan Tjandra (2015) reflects on how the Tuckwell Scholarship helped to shape his future.

Jonathan Tjandra is a successful lawyer, working as Counsel to the Australian Government Solicitor, and currently studying a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford University.

He remembers when his dreams of becoming a lawyer began morphing into reality - the moment Jonathan found out he was to become a Tuckwell Scholar at ANU.

"[Becoming a Tuckwell Scholar] was one of the defining moments in my life because, all of a sudden, I could afford to go to ANU to study. All these opportunities opened up and I could finally take a few more steps to progress the passion I have for law," he says.

"The Tuckwell Scholarship was a sign that someone actually believed in me, and I could achieve the things I was dreaming of. So it was both reassuring and also very frightening to receive the call that I was successful.

"Then, there is the community of Tuckwell Scholars. Being able to connect with such a motivated, wonderful group of people has forced me to think about the future and take concrete steps to achieve my goals. It has been a completely transformational experience and one that's been very positive

"We keep in touch because we all share a vision - which is trying to make Australia, and the world, a better place to live."

Jonathan's experiences as a Tuckwell Scholar encouraged him to apply for a Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation scholarship, which is funding his studies at Oxford University.

 "Oxford is famous for its legal philosophy - its jurisprudence, as it's called. Some of the greatest legal philosophers and thinkers have come from Oxford and I'm excited to become a part of that long tradition of thinking about law, what it means to be a lawyer and what purpose should the law serve," says Jonathan.

After Oxford, Jonathan hopes to return to Australia to continue working in government and public law; one more step in his mission to ensure government policies uphold the fundamental democratic principles and values that underpin our society.