Geelong local receives Westpac Social Change Fellowship

The West Pack Scholars Trust has awarded 10 entrepreneurs with scholarship funding, including Geelong’s own Caleb Rixon.

With the $50,000 scholarships, recipients design a tailored development journey, using the funding to participate in global study tours, get access to mentoring and coaching, build new networks or attend courses to enhance their leadership and social impact capabilities.

After a stroke at the age of 24, Mr Rixon founded the Genyus Network in 2015 and is on a mission to enrich the lives of people affected by lived experiences.

Mr Rixon said receiving the fellowship was incredible and felt like an out-of-body experience.

“I came across the trust four or five years ago, and the opportunity to apply for the fellowship seemed like something that would really give me an opportunity to grow as a social change leader.

“The biggest thing that’s impressive to me about the fellowship is that you get not only $50,000 to create a bespoke development plan for your capacity building as a leader, but it actually connects you with a really broad scholars network.”

Through the fellowship, Mr Rixon hopes to build his capacity as a leader and identify his strengths, along with areas for improvement.

“I’m really interested to find out where my blind spot is, what are the areas I can improve in and put the money towards building my capacity in those areas.

“Once I identify really clearly my areas where I can really improve, that’s where I’m going to put the pedal to the metal and that’s where the money’s going to really go, to set the organisation up for success sustainably.”

Mr Rixon also hopes to tackle social challenges around reducing isolation for people impacted by stroke, brain injury, other life changing traumas, inclusive survivors and their support crew.