Scholarship gave Bryton the freedom to be himself

Receiving a Vinva scholarship allowed law and commerce student Bryton Johnson to get the best education he could whilst still maintaining his identity. He could juggle his busy life whilst continuing to support his mum and autistic sister.

Maintaining his identity - Bryton Johnson

“You’re not going to go to university tomorrow.” They were the words that turned Bryton Johnson’s world upside down.

“I was in the city and had just finished my interview for the scholarship when I was told the university was closing down due to COVID,” explains Bryton,who was one month into his Bachelor of Commerce with Bachelor of Laws. “It was a lot to take in a year with so much change in my life. I have Asperger’s.”

Bryton had been working three jobs, playing in three orchestras, and competing in weightlifting. But something would have to go as he juggled his busy life with starting uni and helping to support his mum and autistic sister. The news he’d been awarded the donor-funded scholarship changed everything. “The relief of knowing I could still study and be there for my family was unbelievable,” he says.

Fast-forward to the end of his first year, and Bryton credits the scholarship with allowing him to maintain his identity. “It’s the stuff that makes me me,” he laughs. Bryton still plays the cello, double bass, and classical guitar – he’s also training as a conductor for his community orchestra. In the weightlifting arena, he’s qualified for the under-20 nationals, and is aiming to compete in the under-23 national championship as well.

At uni, Bryton remains on top of his studies: “I couldn’t have been more excited to get a high distinction in Economics in my first semester. It seemed as if the world had chucked everything it possibly could in my way, and I had triumphed “This scholarship means so much to me, but I think above all, it’s the ability to still be me and get the best education I can.”