Nova Peris takes ambassador role as Shalom Gamarada expands to Sydney University

Olympic gold medallist, former senator and long-time advocate for Aboriginal communities Nova Peris has been appointed ambassador of the Indigenous education charity Shalom Gamarada, the organisation announced today.

The move is part of a major leadership overhaul that also brings high-profile businessman David Gonski on board as patron and media executive Alexandra Senter as chair.

Shalom Gamarada was founded more than two decades ago with the core purpose of giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students the opportunity to attend university when they might not otherwise have been able to do so.

Co-founded by Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver and Ilona Lee, the organisation established a residential scholarship model with wrap-around support, providing accommodation, academic mentoring, cultural connection and financial assistance, initially at UNSW’s Shalom College.

Over its first 20 years, the program has helped more than 100 Indigenous students graduate, with most being the first in their families to reach university and many coming from remote communities where distance and cost made study impossible.

By blending Jewish values of learning and philanthropy with practical, community-driven support, Shalom Gamarada has delivered graduation rates that match or exceed those of the general student body. The program has produced doctors, lawyers, engineers, social workers and other professionals while advancing its enduring mission of closing the gap through education, belonging and genuine opportunity.

The organisation is simultaneously rolling out its residential scholarship program to the University of Sydney’s Mandelbaum House.

Peris, a dual Olympian and long-standing advocate for Aboriginal communities, said education was the most powerful tool for closing the gap.

“When Dr Martin Luther King spoke of his dream … I see that dream in action,” she said. “For more than 20 years, Shalom Gamarada has supported over 100 Aboriginal students through boarding and full scholarship education.

“Education is central to closing the gap. I would forgo any number of gold medals to see Aboriginal Australians be free, healthy and participating fully in all that our great country has to offer.”

The appointments follow a year of internal review and renewal. Executive Director Mia Kalinko, who took over early last year, thanked donors who have underpinned the charity’s work.

Gonski replaces the late Dame Marie Bashir as patron. New board members include Sally Greenberg, while Tony Guarna has stepped up as acting treasurer.

Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver highlighted the program’s results: most students were the first in their families to reach university, many came from remote areas, and graduation rates matched or exceeded those of the general student population.

In 2025 the organisation celebrated two graduates: Jake Hobday, who completed a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and now works at First Nations consulting firm Yamagigu (in partnership with Deloitte), and Sarah Scott, who finished a Bachelor of Social Work and has returned to Bourke.

The expansion to the University of Sydney marks a strategic milestone. Two new scholarship students began at Mandelbaum House this year, studying physiotherapy and social work.

Mandelbaum House CEO Shana Kerlander said the college was delighted to take part in the initiative and to welcome Indigenous students through the program.

“Mandelbaum House is very excited to be part of the Shalom Gamarada program this year,” she said. “Indigenous students have enriched our college community over the years, often taking on leadership roles and making a strong contribution to life at the college.”

“One of our students was recently recognised with the inaugural Ernest Friedlander Outstanding Contribution Award, reflecting the impact Indigenous residents have had on our community.”

Kerlander said the college currently had nine Indigenous students from across Australia, from Darwin to Tasmania and Western Australia.

She also acknowledged the role of Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver in supporting the initiative, noting that Mandelbaum House had previously been a pilot college for the University of Sydney’s Gadigal program, which she helped establish.

The program continues at UNSW’s Shalom College, where three students have started degrees in medicine, law and drama at NIDA.

Shalom Gamarada will deliver its wrap-around support model, accommodation, mentoring and cultural connection, in partnership with Nura Gili at UNSW and the Gadigal Centre at the University of Sydney.

Plans for the year ahead include an alumni engagement program, an event at Parliament House and a Shabbat dinner promoting intercultural exchange.

As Shalom Gamarada steps into this new era of leadership and expansion, its core mission remains unchanged: to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through education, belonging and practical opportunity.