Growing up on a grazing property in the Midlands and attending the local district school for a couple of years, Fleur d’Antoine Castle says she became aware that not everyone was as fortunate as her family. The realisation continued after her parents sold the family farm thirty years ago.
“There are a lot of fortunate people in our community and a lot of less fortunate people and we need to help each other,” Fleur said.
It was the motivation behind her parents establishing the d’Antoine Family Foundation Scholarship to assist people to attend university.
“Mum and Dad set it up, and now it’s my brother and I who are involved with it — it’s a way of giving back to our local community,” she said.
“We all regard education highly and it is wonderful to give opportunity to someone who might not be able to otherwise attend university or who hasn’t thought about going to university.”
Nursing student Georgia Cordwell is just such a person. At school she was unsure what she wanted to do as a career until a teacher mentioned nursing. Receiving the scholarship was a game changer.
“It has helped me so, so much,” she said. “It has allowed me to buy stationery and text books as well as my nursing uniform,” she said.
“It has also helped me with my (hospital) placements. I choose not to work during my placements because it is quite stressful, so the scholarship has allowed me to buy food and everything else I need during my placements.”
Georgia Cordwell
Georgia said nursing appealed to her because of its breadth, opening doors to myriad opportunities.
“Every day is different,” she said. “With nursing, I can go anywhere and there are so many types of nursing that I could get into.
“I also really wanted to give back to the community, and I liked the idea of caring and helping those in need.”
Georgia and her donor, Fleur’s father, Nicholas d’Antoine, had the opportunity to meet at a morning tea the University hosted.
“We had a great conversation; he talked about mentoring. I look forward to having more contact with the family,” Georgia said.
Another recent beneficiary was Sarah Haidau who used the scholarship in her first year of her Bachelor of Laws degree. “I’d like to go into International Law, human rights or something like that,” she said.
“I had to move out of home to start university so the scholarship assisted with relocation and buying what I needed. I still worked, but it made a difference in terms of alleviating some of the financial pressure to fund yourself.”
In addition to receiving the d’Antoine Family Foundation Scholarship, Georgia Cordwell received a Springboard to Higher Education Scholarship in Grade 11. These scholarships are designed to provide financial and educational support to help students transition from secondary school to university. Georgia said the Springboard scholarship helped her purchase a laptop and other school supplies.
“It allowed me to fully prepare myself for my studies,” she said. “I am very honoured to have received the scholarship and grateful for how much it has helped me.”
Leanne Arnott, Director of Engagement at the University, says the program is wonderful recognition from the student's school that they recognise their potential.
Leanne is passionate about the role of education in changing people's lives, having experienced the benefits first-hand. She grew up in regional Tasmania and was the first in her family to attend university.
“It is wonderful to see the difference these scholarships can make,” Leanne said.
“Springboard to Higher Education Scholarships provide a level of confidence that they will be supported in their educational journey and reduces some of the stresses financially.”
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