Lieutenant Tristan Heriter of the Royal Australian Navy, presents Michael Burke with an Australian Defence Force Academy education award.MICHAEL Burke’s dream of becoming a seaman officer received a boost when the Beaconhills College student received an Australian Defence Force Academy education award.
Lieutenant Tristan Heriter, a marine engineer with the Royal Australian Navy, awarded Michael, a Year 12 student at the college, with a certificate of recognition and a laptop computer.
The award is presented to Year 12 students in recognition of leadership potential, of academic and sporting achievements exhibited in Year 11 and of qualities displayed throughout the ADFA selection process.
Michael has long held an interest in attending the academy, partly through the influences of his extended family, which includes four members of the RAN. In fact, his grandfather was an engineer in the navy and one of his great-uncles rose to the rank of rear-admiral.
Michael is hoping to start a bachelor of arts degree at the academy next year. He hopes this will lead to a position as seaman officer, which would enable him in time to take the helm of one of the RAN’s ships.
