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UNE celebrates scholarships - a vital link with the community

May 05, 2006

StrongWatkins.thumb.JPGThe University of New England has held its annual celebration of its links with the community through the donation of scholarships. During the University’s 2006 Undergraduate Scholarship Presentation Ceremony on Wednesday, donors and sponsors presented 94 students with scholarships totalling almost $1 million in value.

Altogether, the University is awarding more than $3 million worth of undergraduate scholarships to new and continuing students in 2006. The scholarships presented at Wednesday’s ceremony were to students receiving them for the first time this semester.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, welcomed the 230 guests to the ceremony, with a “particular welcome” to about 50 scholarship sponsors from many sectors of the community. He thanked the sponsors for their generosity – and acknowledged their vision – in helping the recipients to achieve their educational ambitions.

Professor Pettigrew presented UNE Country Scholarships (worth $5,000 a year for the duration of the degree course) to 18 students. These scholarships, established in 1998, have so far supported more than 200 students at UNE. They are awarded to students from country areas who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership ability, and participation in school and community life. Professor Pettigrew also presented several UNE Armidale District Country Scholarships – established in order to recognise and encourage the achievements of school-leavers from the University’s immediate community.

Several Country Scholarships are awarded by local government authorities to students in UNE’s Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning degree program. These sponsors include Armidale Dumaresq Council, Inverell Shire Council, Dubbo City Council, and an alliance of Wellington, Blayney and Cabonne Councils (“WBC Alliance”). The Dubbo and WBC Alliance scholarships are being awarded this year for the first time. Ms Melissa Watkins, Dubbo City Council’s Director of Environmental Services, said her Council had decided to sponsor the scholarship because of “a significant skill shortage in our industry”. “I’m actually a UNE graduate,” Ms Watkins continued, “and, as most of the planners in our Council are also UNE graduates, we thought we’d approach UNE about the scholarship.” The photograph displayed here shows Ms Watkins (right) with the scholarship recipient Erin Strong.

Individuals, community organisations, businesses, industry groups, and organisations within UNE itself are among the scholarship sponsors. Ms Anne Roczniok, Director of UNE’s Development Office, said: “This year an increased number of scholarships has been made available through donations to the Country Scholarship Scheme, and the generosity of individuals and organisations.”

Mrs Shirley Edwards and Mrs Joy Geddes, representing the Glen Innes Opportunity Shop, presented the inaugural Glen Innes Opportunity Scholarship. They were delighted to meet the recipient – Sarah Bryson of Glen Innes – and to learn that the scholarship would enable her to devote herself to her study of nursing.

Another inaugural award is the Booroongen Djugun Scholarship, donated by Dr Bruce Standen through the Booroongen Djugun Aboriginal Corporation, Kempsey, to assist an Indigenous student of Natural Resources Management. Mr Gary Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Booroongen Djugun, explaining that one facet of the Corporation’s work was natural resources management, said that Brendan Blacklock, the scholarship recipient, would be “a trail-blazer”.

Benjamin Quast, the recipient of the Richard See Scholarship in Student Leadership, represented all the recipients in moving a vote of thanks to the donors. “The recipients very much appreciate your support,” he said, adding that the generous donation of scholarships was an indication of the importance of UNE to its community.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at May 5, 2006 09:35 AM