Congratulations to the 2025 Rotary Melbourne Young Achiever Award winners Billy Chen, Pailene Lim, and Mursal Rezai, who were presented with their awards by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria at Level 35, Sofitel on Collins on Wednesday 23rd July 2025,
This year's winners add to the remarkable past Young Achiever Award recipients and the lasting impact they continue to make in the community.
Advocate for community service and youth policy
Billy is currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Studies at the University of Melbourne achieving First Class Honours. He is passionate about understanding and examining key political issues to help make a positive difference within our society.
Billy has been a recipient of several awards and scholarships. He won his first scholarship with Western Chances in 2020 when in Year 9. Recently, Billy was elected to the Western Chances Scholarship Team for Advice & Review (STAR) Board Sub-Committee where he actively engages in their events program.
Three of Billy’s awards and scholarships include: a residential scholarship at Trinity College; the Dafydd Lewis Trust scholarship in 2024; the ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership award, which recognizes students who demonstrate leadership and teamwork within both the school and the broader local community.
As well as focusing on his studies, Billy is deeply involved in volunteer work, including being a Victorian Youth Congress Member and Project Coordinator and co-designing a major project to provide support to young people as they move to independent living.
Leadership in medical research and community service
Pailene is currently completing a PhD in Medical Biology at the University of Melbourne. Her project focuses on the human immune response to malaria to inform vaccine design. Pailene is also currently working as a Research Assistant at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WIHI). Prior to her PhD studies, Pailene was awarded Dux in her Bachelor of Science Honours Degree.
Pailene’s work in the field of malaria vaccinology has been recognized through several co-authored papers published in the prestigious journal, Nature Microbiology. She has also presented her work at six infection and immunity conferences within Australia. Pailene’s commitment to malaria research was evident in two
visits to collaborators at Mahidol University in Thailand, to train and work with local team members to measure the immune response to infection. Pailene has looked outside her own studies to help foster a passion for medical research in the next generation of scientists. She has been a laboratory supervisor for students ranging from High School work experience students to honours students.
Pailene’s community engagement extends to an involvement in community swimming and music. In terms of swimming, Pailene is a qualified pool lifeguard and teacher of swimming and water safety. She understands that many people within our migrant and refugee communities need to learn water safety. Pailene is also an accomplished Saxophonist, participating in the Western Region Concert Band.
Leadership in education and community service
Mursal is currently undertaking a double degree in a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University. Mursal was born in Pakistan. Her family are Hazara refugees from Afghanistan who moved to Pakistan before arriving in Western Australia. She learnt English whilst in school in Pakistan and attended school in Perth where she started year 11. Mursal completed her VCE Years 11 and 12 in Melbourne. Mursal received her first Western Chances scholarship in 2021 when she was in Year 12. She speaks four languages: English, Hazaragi, Dari and Urdu.
Mursal’s dedication to her studies has also been recognized through the Internships she has gained. She secure Grattan Institute and received one of two Western Chances ‘Dream Big’ Awards in 2025. During this award, Mursal attended two prestigious summit events in Sydney in February 2025: the ‘Women in Leadership’ Summit and the ‘Leading in the Law’ Summit.
Mursal aspires to become a lawyer who excels in her profession and also to assist others in the community who face disadvantage and systemic barriers.
At this year's award presentation, we also launched our Young Achiever Award Alumni and the inaugural Alumni Yearbook. Please click on image below to read.
To learn more about the Award including, past winners and how to nominate, please click on button below.
