When James Manton finished high school, he says he had “serious doubts” about his ability to succeed at university.
Three years on, and he’s the recipient of multiple prestigious scholarships, and has turned in the final exam for his Bachelor of Business – a significant milestone for the Marketing and International Business major.
“It's honestly really strange to be finally finished,” he says.
“Not having multiple assessments due, readings to catch up on and the stress of exams is really refreshing but also comes with a bunch of time I have no idea what to do with. I'm obviously also really happy and proud to have achieved my goal and to see my efforts have finally paid off.”
Getting to this point hasn’t come without its difficulties; after having to financially support himself through his final year of high school, James didn’t think university would be on the cards for him.
No one in my family had gone to university, and before starting at UNE, I had serious doubts about my ability to succeed.
“In year 11, my family moved away and I was left to complete year 12 at Taree High School while living with extended family,” he says.
“While doing so, I worked as a trolley collector and cleaner and worked most nights and weekends. No one in my family had gone to university, and before starting at UNE, I had serious doubts about my ability to succeed.”
However, after winning the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship in 2018, he was guaranteed entry to any course at UNE. Having developed a keen interest in business and economics in high school, he decided to take the plunge and enrol in an online Bachelor of Business.
Thanks to the flexibility of online study and the support from UNE Taree, his previous doubts soon disappeared.
“Being able to study online fulfilled my lifestyle needs greatly and helped save on many of the traditional costs associated with moving away to university,” he says.
“My partner goes to another university that doesn’t offer many online subjects and she travels over 600km a week, so it has honestly been a blessing having online study so easily accessible.
“The UNE Taree Study Centre allowed for me to have a dedicated study space (pre Covid) which I used daily for study, printing and staff support. This made distance study less isolated and allowed me to create healthy study habits that worked.”
It didn’t take long for James’ work ethic and dedication to be noticed; in 2019 he was awarded the Smith Family Tertiary Scholarship, which has led him to recently become an ambassador for the foundation, which helps ensure disadvantaged children and youth get the most out of their education.
Nobody should have to grow up in poverty and be disadvantaged in their education and opportunities because of it.
“This is a volunteer role that is special to me as they have supported me throughout my entire education from primary to university and I am committed to supporting the organisation in any way I can,” says James.
“Nobody should have to grow up in poverty and be disadvantaged in their education and opportunities because of it. The Smith Family has proven to me that the cycle of poverty can be broken and those who have experienced it can succeed with the right support.”
As for those who may have a similar background to James, he has one piece of advice.
“Just remember that anything is possible,” he says.
“Commit to what you want and you can achieve it one way or another. There are always people who want to see you succeed, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
To view the list of financial support and scholarship options available at UNE, visit the Scholarship, Prizes and Awards page on our website.
