Rafie was renowned for being the best soccer player at ACU. However, we were always impressed with his delightful spirit. After knowing him for years, I came across several stories (e.g., this one) about his life that eternally changed him and helped us understand how he appeared to live in a different world. Both of these articles refer to his father of the same name. However, as he told me over lunch a few days before he graduated, “I was the sick son that my father left to get medicine for when he was attacked.”
I nominated him for and he was awarded the ACU Dean Adams Achievement Award in December 2015.