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Prize to help aspiring engineer achieve goals
A Noosaville woman who says she is “addicted” to helping enthusiastic young women achieve their goals has thrown her support behind the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Civil Engineering degree.
In recent years, Laurie Cowled has provided funds to establish awards for female students across Australia and abroad, assisting those with high aspirations in fields ranging from ballet to brain research.
On Monday 1 August, she attended USC’s annual Engineering Awards night to present the first Laurie Cowled Women in Engineering Prize to Kristin Reeves of Currimundi.
“My goal with this prize is to encourage a girl, who has already shown talent, to go on to reach her full potential as an engineer,” Ms Cowled said.
“To see an enthusiastic young woman thrive in her chosen field of study and to know I was able to give a helping hand is thrilling. It gives me so much joy. It has become my joyous addiction.”
Ms Cowled, who also recently established scholarships for three ballerinas at the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and for design students at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, said USC’s Civil Engineering degree was set to make a big difference to the region.
“I live in this district and I think it’s important that I support the local University in this way,” she said. “I feel that engineering is such a vital skill for the whole fabric of society.”
Kristin started her Bachelor of Civil Engineering this year after completing one year of a Science degree. She said she was delighted by Ms Cowled’s generosity.
“Laurie is so lovely,” she said. “She’s like the nicest person I’ve ever met”.
The Caloundra High School graduate said the $500 prize would go towards paying her study fees.
Kristin said she chose to study Engineering because she loves maths and science and believes the skills she is learning at USC will be of use anywhere in the world.
Other prizes presented at the ceremony included:
- The $5,000 Les and Mary Hall Family Scholarship to Olivia Goatham-Ryan of Peregian Springs;
- The $5,000 Graham Tamblyn Scholarship to Matthew Mucha of Buderim;
- Two new $5,000 GHD Scholarships to Gina Leach of Mooloolaba and Matthew Chilton of Peregian Beach;
- The $1,000 LEW Mosel Prize to Liam Owen of Golden Beach; and
- The $500 Mark and Susan Bradley Prize to Georgia Keeshan of Sunrise Beach
To find out more about the Civil Engineering degree at USC or one of the other 140 undergraduate and postgraduate programs available, come along to the University’s annual Open Day from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 14 August.
— Terry Walsh