I flew from Cairns FNQ to Melbourne (a 3.5-hour flight!) for university. I didn’t have enough money to go to university. But I had faith in myself, hope and optimism.

In my second week at university, I applied for the Paterson Scholarship, and by the second month, I received the Paterson Scholarship, which paid me annually for the normal duration of my degree. I was the inaugural recipient of the scholarship. The Paterson Scholarship meant that I had the funds to go to university and do what I wanted to do outside of university - which was, figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. It meant that I didn’t need to take on a part-time or vacation job and I was free to pursue my own projects. The Paterson Scholarship gave me the time and space I needed to start Robogals, while I worked on my engineering and computer science degrees.

Bob and Helen Paterson were the benefactors of the scholarship. Bob Paterson was an alumni of the University of Melbourne. He studied civil engineering, graduating in 1949! He then went on to work at global engineering firm Ingersoll Rand for 34 years, before founding his own company, Pacific Hydro, which he sold in 2005. He used the proceeds from the sale to fund my scholarship.

Over the years, I was invited to annual lunches with the Patersons and my successors who received the annual scholarship. It was a nice little community, meeting all the students who came after me. I also visited Bob and Helen in their home, where they even let me film a video with an earlier Teleport prototype! And they came along to my university graduation ceremony, of course!

In late January 2020, Bob Paterson passed. He is survived by his wife Helen and his 3 children. I will always remember Bob, the man whose generosity meant that I could follow my dreams and start Robogals. It was his scholarship money that I put into Robogals in our second to third years when we didn’t have the funds to do our work. Due to the Paterson Scholarship, Robogals grew and flourished in our second to third years by expanding to the UK and by supporting our 5 chapters around Australia through their first full-year of operations. That foundational year of focusing on growing the organisation, meant that we could then go out and get other sources of funding to continue out work and expand, based on the results we achieved that year. Bob and Helen helped my dreams come true. And for that, I am forever thankful.

Thank you Bob and Helen.