A financial lifeline and a friendship
Embarking on her Criminology/Law degree in 2010, Miriam Hicks faced a daunting prospect.
Cec Spence and Sue Grace.
As one of four children from a country family of modest means, she was going to have to support herself through five years of university study.
That was until she earned a Mary Spence Memorial Scholarship. “It was make-or-break help at a very critical time in my life,” Miriam says now. “It made my university education achievable.”
However, the benefits of the scholarship were twofold: not only was it “a tremendous help” in meeting Miriam’s living expenses; it also inspired a friendship with the late Cec Spence and his partner Sue Grace. Over regular lunches and the occasional coffee the bond deepened.
“I am eternally grateful to the Spence family but especially to Cec for his genuine interest in my studies and professional ambitions, and his kind offers of support,” says Miriam, now a solicitor working in Mildura. “He was a lovely, sincere gentleman, who served as a mentor during my time at UNE. He always made it clear that he and Sue were available if I needed help, and I really appreciated his personal investment in me as an individual.”
Financially, the scholarship allowed Miriam to prioritise her studies without having to take on too much part-time work. “I was able to work 10-15 hours a week instead of 30-40 hours, but the real bonus was that I came to know two of the world’s kindest and most generous people,” she says.
And Miriam’s experience was not isolated. Cec took the same level of interest in every recipient of Spence family scholarships, which, during his lifetime, were named after his mother Mary and father Dan. Cec invested time in getting to know them and kept an album containing photographs of each student.
Trustee of the Cecil Thomas Spence Charitable Trust, Rod Watt, says his friend’s engagement with scholarship recipients was a mark of the charitable and community- minded man he was, who maintained a curiosity about the world around him and a dedication to helping those less fortunate.
His investment in students through the scholarships was an investment in their lives.
“Cec was a country boy at heart and attended a tiny country school near Walcha,” Rod says. “He appreciated the privileges of his secondary education at The Armidale School and at UNE - where he studied Agricultural Economics (graduating with Honours in 1969) - and was determined to ensure that other country students enjoyed similar opportunities. He had an abiding interest in country students getting the best education they possibly could.”
Long-time friend and fellow trustee John Sewell fondly recalls his engaging weekly conversations with Cec. “They would cover every conceivable topic; Cec was extremely well-read and informed,” he says. “He turned what was a pretty mundane job putting up real estate signs into a very enjoyable afternoon.
“Cec was a mentor to many people professionally and socially; everybody who met him benefitted from that mentorship. He had a real passion for developing young people, especially, and it was much more to him than simply making the scholarship available: he was engaged in their lives.”
Some of the Cec Spence Memorial Scholars with Sue Grace and Trustee, Rod Watt, at the 2019 Scholarship lunch.
Friends from all walks of life similarly appreciated Cec’s appetite for knowledge, loyalty and keen intellect. After leaving the family farm, Tia, and moving to Armidale, he completed a Bachelor of Financial Administration as a mature-age student and worked for a time as an economics tutor at UNE. He was also a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Armidale and a founder of its successful annual book fair, a passionate golfer and talented wood craftsman.
“Cec was an extremely caring and kind-hearted person,” said Sue. “His investment in students through the scholarships was an investment in their lives. I still receive cards and phone calls from grateful recipients; they appreciated the help so much. They tell me how it set them up for life.”
Since 2016, the Spence family scholarships have changed the lives of some 45 UNE students like Miriam.
“Upon his death it was Cec’s wish that his would become a perpetual trust,” says Rod. “Cec realised the importance of monetary support; it was a lasting gift, so that the students could concentrate more on their studies than supporting themselves financially. We hope that the trust will still be helping to assist in the education of students in 100 years’ time.”
While Cec had a preference to support students from the New England area of NSW, all eligible students are encouraged to apply.
For further information on the Cec Spence Memorial Scholarship, established in 2016 through his estate, go to une.edu.au/alumni/give-to-une/une-scholarships
