Patrician Brothers Catholic College Blacktown


Daniel Merza, award-winning speaker, author, coach and mentor, joined our Year 11 boys in a motivational talk getting them prepared for 2020!

Daniel's mission in life is to inspire tenacity, optimism and empowerment in the lives of others, especially the next generation.

He worked with Patrician Brothers to incorporate his 'Game plan for greatness' program into our existing wellbeing and positive psychology framework, with focus on leadership, resilience, optimism, emotional intelligence, growth mindset, hope, relationships, character traits, and maintaining good mental health.

Having worn the "underdog" cap growing up, Daniel's story can be summed up in three words - "Defying the odds". Bullied for a decade, diagnosed with a mental illness aged 13, and labelled as a student with “no hope”, Daniel faced up to his tormentors at 16 and turned his life around – to create a life of achievements as an , Event Host MC and Chartered Accountant.

Learn more about Daniel

 

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Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown

Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
www.patsblacktown.catholic.edu.au

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  • 20 Mar 2026

    From Facebook
    Last night we proudly celebrated the achievements of our Year 12 students at the ACU Step Up Into Teaching (SUIT) Program Completion Ceremony Congratulations to Francesco Tabone and Lucas Sheehan on receiving their certificates as part of this outstanding initiative, alongside a cohort of over 160 students from across multiple dioceses and education systems. This year’s celebration was made even more special, with the SUIT program recently recognised on a national stage, taking out the Future Builder People’s Choice category at the Universities Australia Shaping Australia Awards 2025. The program continues to open doors for aspiring educators, providing students with a head start in their teaching journey while fostering leadership, opportunity, and community impact. We are incredibly proud of Francesco and Lucas as they take their next steps towards becoming future educators and leaders.

    18 Mar 2026

    From Facebook
    Congratulations to everyone involved with our St Patrick’s Day celebrations last Tuesday. Our Mass was celebrated by Fr Wim Hoekstra and featured the outstanding musical talent of our student choir. Our special guests included Br Aengus Kavanagh - Patrician Brothers, Deborah Scollard - Principal of Nagle College, Stephen Bali Jnr - representing Stephen Bali Snr, State Member for Blacktown, and Michelle Rowland, Attorney-General of Australia, Patrick Murray - College Captain 1983, along with former staff members; Kim Crawford, Barbara Newton and Dave Backhurst. Pat Murray spoke to our students with tremendous wisdom and relevance after Mass about the far-reaching impact of his Patties Blacktown education. The Staff v Students Soccer match was as entertaining as ever, and the response of the students in the crowd was tremendous. Our day finished with a Patties Got Talent concert and there was certainly an abundance of musical talent on display.

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