Virtus Fellowship
Character. Capability. Conviction.
Developing young talent across academic and extracurricular pursuits, so that possibilities become contribution.
Talent is everywhere. The right people, in good time, help it grow.
To see young people grow steadily, and in time give back to others.
Mentoring, financial aid, and a network, built around each Fellow.
About
Scholarship and support, working together
The Virtus Fellowship stands alongside talent on the way to achievement, going well beyond the convention of merit-led awards.
Who it is for
Young people from school age to early career, across academic study and the interests beside it, at whichever stage the right support would matter most.
Why Virtus
From the Latin for excellence, courage, and character, the qualities each Fellow is supported to grow, in their studies, their pursuits, and their conduct.
Be a Fellow
Through a personal introduction or a considered nomination, agreed with each Fellow and, where relevant, with their family before anything begins.
Support
A structure around each Fellow
Steady guidance
Personal guidance from people who have walked a similar path, matched to each Fellow's stage and ambitions.
Financial aid
Grants and funding where they make a real difference, offered alongside every other form of support a Fellow needs.
A wider circle
Mentors, supporters, and friends of the Fellowship who offer their time, knowledge, and introductions freely.
Space to explore
Committed support for interests across study and beyond, so that talent gains depth, takes initiative, and makes its mark.
Where Fellows grow
Academic depth
Rigour and range in chosen fields of study.
Resilience
Steadiness through setbacks and pressure.
Serious pursuits
Taking a craft, art, or hobby seriously.
Curious and creative
Asking better questions, making new things.
Digital fluency
Confident, critical use of technology.
Interpersonal skills
Listening, teamwork, and clear expression.
Sport and outdoors
Fitness, teamwork, and time in the wild.
Managing conflict
Disagreeing well, and resolving differences.
Financial sense
Practical understanding of money and value.
Ethical grounding
A sound compass when choices are hard.
Taking initiative
Starting things, and leading by example.
Civic sense
Responsible to community, and a global outlook.
Origins
From experience to structure
Where it began
Lived experience
Many of us were helped by awards and mentors, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a youth programme of service, skills, and expeditions. Together, they showed how the right support at the right time goes beyond funding.
The first decade
Starlight Initiative
It began informally, with mentoring and small grants. Work with Voluntary Service Overseas added 'experiential learning', linking activities to corporate mentoring. Others wished to offer support, many could benefit, and a community formed.
From 2021
Virtus Fellowship
Shaped by people who share a motivation to make a difference, and grounded in their professional, scholastic, and personal experience, the practice took a more structured, methodical form as the Virtus Fellowship.
- 15+Fellows supported
- 30+Mentors engaged
- 50+Pursuits backed
More than 8,000 hours of support given. Each Fellowship is worth over $20,000 on average, an estimated combined value of financial aid, mentoring, time, and access.
Who is involved
A circle of practitioners, scholars, and pioneers
A core working group coordinates the Fellowship's activities and organises its mentoring, financial aid, and wider support. Around it is an extended virtual team of several individuals, drawn from the groups below, who give their time and experience, and bring financial aid together through a combined network, case by case, for each chosen Fellow.
- Academics and scholars
- Practitioners across fields
- Senior executives
- Mentors and coaches
- Founders and investors
- Subject specialists
Connect
Nominate, introduce, or contribute
Thank you
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Genesis
It began on a simple conviction: real possibilities grow with the right people.
Thus our motto: Alere ingenia ubique (to nurture talent, everywhere).
Instituted by Viren Aul, investor, advisor, and scholar, with more than two decades as a practitioner. virenaul.com