The Community Foundation’s Education Support Program recently distributed Education Support awards of more than $25,000 to fifteen students from across our district, including students from Boolarra, Mirboo North and Thorpdale.
“The Education Support awards will be used by these students, including two mature students, to cover their upfront financial costs as they take up their University and TAFE courses this month. These can be used for everything from laptops to books or materials, from bonds to travel expenses,” explains Rob Kiddell, Chair of the Community Foundation.
Community Bank sponsorship helps students take the next step
The Community Bank, Mirboo North & District has long been a supporter of the Education Support Program, helping to found the program back in 2013. This is their fifth year of sponsoring a two-year award, that is $6,000 across two years, for local students.
At the awards evening Marg Thomas, Chair of the Community Bank, Mirboo North & District, gave out the two multi-year awards to recipients Charlotte Grant and Tenielle Nowacki.
“The Community Bank is delighted to be able to support the Education Support Program and our local students, particularly now when the cost of living is really challenging,” Marg concluded.
Marissa Shields, Direct of the Community Foundation and Rob Kiddell, Chair, then gave the Education Support awards to local students Abbey Dicker, Aleasha Read, Billy Jennings, Georgia Suckling, Jacob Daly, Lena Blackshaw, Lucas Murphy, Nathan Bates, Poppy Maxwell, Rhian Finnegan, Stacey Harriage and Ollie Mahony.
$25,000 in support for university and TAFE students
These students, including the two mature students, are approaching the next stage of their educational journeys in a wonderful variety of ways, studying locally in Melbourne or online for degrees or certificates. It was interesting to see that the seven of the fifteen students were taking degrees in Science or Engineering (or a mix of both).
It was a pleasure to have two guest speakers on the night, Sarah Lawless, Executive Officer of the South Gippsland and Bass Coast LLEN and Dinisty Francis, recipient of one of last year’s $6,000 awards sponsored by the Community Bank.
Sarah shared some thoughts about the value that comes from the informal and personal learning that students gain from travel or getting involved with clubs at TAFEs and Universities.
Dinisty, who has just finished her first year of a Bachelor of Psychological Science at ACU, gave the recent crop of recipients some tips on how to manage the first year of tertiary education – in two words: ‘Be adventurous’.
If you want to find out more about the Education Support Program, take a look here.