In conversation with... Victorian Rhodes Scholar, James Maccarrone

Both of them were born to an Irish mother and an Italian father.

Additionally, what does Maccarrone have in common with former Victorian Supreme Court judge and governor of Victoria, Sir James Gobbo, the 42^nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, the former prime ministers of Australia, Bob Hawke, Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott, and former deputy prime minister, Kim Beazley, as well as many other famous heads of state, authors, scientists, Olympic champions and university chancellors?

They were all selected for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

Each year, nine Rhodes Scholarships are available for outstanding Australians: one Rhodes Scholarship is offered in each of the states and three for Australia at large.

Scholars are afforded the opportunity to study their discipline of choice at Oxford University in England, one of the most prestigious tertiary institutions in the world.

In 2018, University of Melbourne student Maccarrone was awarded the Victorian Rhodes Scholarship.

I came across 26-year-old Maccarrone’s story while reading an article in a university magazine.

His proud paternal grandmother, Vizzini-born Giuseppina Maccarrone – who happens to be my neighbour in Avondale Heights – also told me about her grandson’s achievement.

The news piqued my interest because it is the first and only case in recent times in which a young Australian with mixed heritage has been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship.

Between 1952 and 2018, the only Italo-Australian recipient of the scholarship was the previously mentioned Sir James Gobbo, who is a prominent and valued member of the Italian community and society at large.

In America, the only Italian name that stands out on the list of recipients is that of Gina Raimondo, a law graduate from Harvard University who has served as the governor of Rhode Island and is the current United States Secretary of Commerce.

In 2018, another Italian name was launched into the spotlight: that of James Maccarrone.

Maccarrone completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) majoring in Economics with First Class Honours at the University of Melbourne before receiving the 2018 Victorian Rhodes Scholarship.

“The value of a high-quality education has always been essential to my tertiary career and my life in general,” Maccarrone says.

“The ultimate goal is to dedicate myself to my work in improving the public service in Australia and at an international level.

“The Rhodes Scholarship has empowered me to achieve this vision, through an immersion in the rich academic world and the ideal environment for learning from others.”

In 2018, Maccarrone and his fellow recipients embarked on their trip to England, having spent three nights and three days travelling through Asia along the famous Trans-Siberian Railway from the Russian city of Vladivostok.

Maccarrone belongs to a select group of students to have been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which was once reserved only for university students in countries within the British Empire, such as Australia, South Africa, Rwanda, India, New Zealand, Malta and Canada, among others.

In his free time, the talented mind takes pleasure in playing Vivaldi on the piano or, in particular, The Four Seasons, on violin.

“My favourite is Winter,” Maccarrone says.

“I studied the violin when I was at university and I managed to join the group of young musicians in the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra, which was established in 1933.

“Our symphony ensemble allows us to perform classical pieces, romantic pieces, 20^th-century classics and concerts, and also accompany opera singers.

“The orchestra performs four times a year in Melbourne, including at the Boroondara Eisteddfod Piano Concerto Competition. 

“My sister Isabella, on the other hand, plays the flute for fun with another group.”

Upon his return to Melbourne following his experience at Oxford, Maccarrone was hired by the Boston Consulting Group – a global management consulting firm that delivers integrated solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures.

After just 18 months at the firm, Maccarrone is already making his mark and putting everything he has learnt into practice.

His parents, Carlo and Ann – who are both esteemed members of the medical field – and the rest of his family are all extremely proud of his achievements.

Congratulations to James Maccarrone from the Italian community, and especially from the Vizzinese community, in Australia.