UQ awards prestigious scholarships to top high school students

Christmas has come twice for high school graduates Joseph Bunton and Kelsey Chalmers, receiving news that they have been awarded UQ’s newest and most prestigious academic scholarship.

In its inaugural year, the UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, valued at $12,000 a year for up to 5 years, has been automatically awarded to 33 scholarship applicants who achieved a result which places them at the very top of the OP1/equivalent band.

For Ms Chalmers, a former Redcliffe State High School student, the scholarship came as a great surprise, which she enjoyed sharing with her parents whom she credits for her inherited love of learning.

“When I was young, both of my parents quit their jobs to enrol as mature-aged students in university,” she said.

“They had a passion to study and change their careers, so worked hard at completing their degrees while supporting three young children on students' incomes.

“When I received the call, I walked out into the kitchen and told my dad who gave me a high five and started bragging to his friends.”

Mr Bunton also shared the good news with his family, who has had to move between Western Australia, New South Wales, Indonesia, and Brisbane over the last five years because of work.

Having attended seven different schools in his life, graduating from Cavendish Road State High School, Mr Bunton said he is now looking forward to settling into life at St Lucia and enjoying everything that UQ has to offer.

“I’m still not sure what I want to do in a career but I’m looking forward to starting my Bachelor of Science and trying more challenging subjects in maths, statistics and physics,” he said.

Director of UQ's Office of Prospective Students & Scholarships Ms Margaret Fairman said the new Vice-Chancellor Scholarships were a welcome addition to UQ’s Academic Scholarship program.

“Our Scholarship program aims to not only recognise and reward the achievements of outstanding school leavers but those with significant leadership or community service achievements as well,” she said.

Almost 400 scholarships were awarded for study in 2010 including 184 UQ Excellence Scholarships, valued at $6000 a year for the duration of the student's program, and more than 150 UQ Merit Scholarships providing $6000 for the first year of study.

Media: Margaret Fairman 07 467704 or m.fairman@uq.edu.au
Photos of Mr Bunton and Ms Chalmers are available from Jeremy Patten j.patten@uq.edu.au or phone 07 3346 7685.