Mansfield Courier Newspaper Article:
By Trinity Knight.
MANSFIELD local Liam Wilson is skipping the cool winter weather this year and attending Harvard University’s Summer School commencing on June 24.
Liam will be studying full time over seven weeks undertaking public speaking and improvisational acting alongside politics and government.
Liam travelled to America for the first time in 2012 and then competed at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles.
In 2023, he returned and visited Harvard University as a tourist.
“I went on a big world trip and ended up going around Europe and then I went over to Boston Massachusetts,” he said.
Harvard University is one of the eight Ivy League Universities in the United States attended by 23,000 students each year, with 5,000 staying for the Summer Program.
“I fell in love with the history and the way of learning,” Liam said.
“After I came back to Australia, I continued working and started researching about politics in America and Australia.
“I read about the Kennedy family and how they went to Harvard.
“A number of my relatives have worked in politics including Sir John Langdon Bonython, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Langdon_Bonython), Sir Lavington Bonython (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lavington_Bonython), Sir Keith Wilson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Wilson_(South_Australian_politician) & my grandfather Ian Wilson AM (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Wilson_(Australian_politician) who was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University studying law and then served as a member of parliament under a number of prime ministers.
“My grandmother suggested that I should try and do some further study, so I thought I’d look into it.”
Liam said getting to Harvard was a very big and long process.
“I had to get vaccines and financial records approved,” he said.
“Alongside booking in for the program, I got my VISA.”
To save up for the trip, Liam worked extremely hard as a cleaner, DJ, support worker and flash mob dance teacher in and around Mansfield for eight months.
In preparation for the trip, he spoke to mentor and life coach Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy.
“When I was last in America, I decided to book in a session with her and we’ve been doing monthly sessions for the past nine months,” he said.
“She also went to Harvard University.”
Liam said he is excited to see where this course will take him in the future.
“I will get a certificate out of the course as well as a number of new skills and connections,” he said.
“I love public speaking, politics, government and performing, so I’m just seeing what happens, what job roles might be for out there me in the future, whether it’s in federal or state government or being involved more in theatre.
“I will be coming back here and using those skills to further my career in dance teaching and work within the Mansfield community.
"I hope to bring a breath of fresh air and fun Aussie spirit into Harvard.”
MANSFIELD local Liam Wilson is skipping the cool winter weather this year and attending Harvard University’s Summer School commencing on June 24.
Liam will be studying full time over seven weeks undertaking public speaking and improvisational acting alongside politics and government.
Liam travelled to America for the first time in 2012 and then competed at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles.
In 2023, he returned and visited Harvard University as a tourist.
“I went on a big world trip and ended up going around Europe and then I went over to Boston Massachusetts,” he said.
Harvard University is one of the eight Ivy League Universities in the United States attended by 23,000 students each year, with 5,000 staying for the Summer Program.
“I fell in love with the history and the way of learning,” Liam said.
“After I came back to Australia, I continued working and started researching about politics in America and Australia.
“I read about the Kennedy family and how they went to Harvard.
“A number of my relatives have worked in politics including Sir John Langdon Bonython, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Langdon_Bonython), Sir Lavington Bonython (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lavington_Bonython), Sir Keith Wilson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Wilson_(South_Australian_politician) & my grandfather Ian Wilson AM (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Wilson_(Australian_politician) who was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University studying law and then served as a member of parliament under a number of prime ministers.
“My grandmother suggested that I should try and do some further study, so I thought I’d look into it.”
Liam said getting to Harvard was a very big and long process.
“I had to get vaccines and financial records approved,” he said.
“Alongside booking in for the program, I got my VISA.”
To save up for the trip, Liam worked extremely hard as a cleaner, DJ, support worker and flash mob dance teacher in and around Mansfield for eight months.
In preparation for the trip, he spoke to mentor and life coach Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy.
“When I was last in America, I decided to book in a session with her and we’ve been doing monthly sessions for the past nine months,” he said.
“She also went to Harvard University.”
Liam said he is excited to see where this course will take him in the future.
“I will get a certificate out of the course as well as a number of new skills and connections,” he said.
“I love public speaking, politics, government and performing, so I’m just seeing what happens, what job roles might be for out there me in the future, whether it’s in federal or state government or being involved more in theatre.
“I will be coming back here and using those skills to further my career in dance teaching and work within the Mansfield community.
"I hope to bring a breath of fresh air and fun Aussie spirit into Harvard.”