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Darling Downs student gains top scholarship
Clifton State High School graduate Christine Pauli has received a $12,000 academic excellence scholarship to study at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Christine, 18, will start a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science degree today (Monday 22 February) after receiving one of two annual Tim Fairfax Regional Scholarships last week.
These scholarships were established in 2008 to assist students from regional or remote areas.
Christine is eager to begin studying at USC, which she says has a relaxed atmosphere that makes her feel right at home.
“When I compared the similarities of the lifestyle and surroundings at USC to home, it had more things in common than the universities in Brisbane,” she said. “I wouldn't have been able to survive the hustle and bustle of Brisbane.”
Christine, who was captain of her school’s Cattle Show Team and a leader of the Clifton Emergency Services Cadets program, said her degree at USC would help her achieve her career goals of encouraging fitness in young people.
“I would love to become a recreation officer and work in regional areas with an organisation that runs school camps,” she said.
“I’d love to lead activities like bushwalking, rock climbing, low and high ropes, canoeing and raft building, and to teach skills like teamwork and leadership.”
Christine took the OP-ineligible pathway through her senior high school years, but sat the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) test to achieve a rank of 90, the equivalent of an OP6.
“I believe I have opened the eyes of many people and proved that a student who is non OP-eligible should not be given up on, that they can still pursue their dreams and uni is not out of the question,” she said.
“I was extremely excited about receiving one of the Tim Fairfax Regional Scholarships because I felt like people recognised my achievements and because I would actually be able to pay for uni.
“The scholarship is vital to me achieving my goals because without it I would have been in severe financial trouble. It will assist in paying for my subjects, books, accommodation, food, internet and so on.”
The Tim Fairfax Regional Scholarships are among six $12,000 academic excellence scholarships awarded annually at USC.
The other scholarships include two Renouf Family Scholarships, which support students in financial need, and two Chancellor’s Scholarships, which are awarded for high academic achievement.
— Terry Walsh