Former Noosa District State High School student, Ruby Tucker, just can’t wipe the smile off her face as she is about to head off to the University of Sunshine Coast (USC) with a scholarship in one hand and a load of her text books in the other.
The 2016 school captain and Cooroy local was one of several impressive applicants of the annual Bendigo Bank university scholarship program and will now use the funds towards realising her dream of tertiary study.
Ruby said she planned to tackle a dual degree of Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Journalism at USC starting next week.
It’s the beginning of an exciting chapter for the teen who has enjoyed success through a lot of hard work in recent years. Remarkably, Ruby still found time to give back through her volunteer work with Amnesty International and fund-raisers including World’s Greatest Shave and Clean Up Australia Day.
Sunshine Coast Community Financial Services Limited (SCCFSL) manages the Cooroy, Pomona, Tewantin and Marcoola Community Bank branches of Bendigo Bank, and Tewantin branch manager Wayne Hoens said providing support to Ruby to further her tertiary education was part of the commitment of the Community Bank branches to building a stronger community.
“The idea behind the scholarship is to assist one regional or rural student per year from Noosa District High School and who is attending university for the first time in 2017,” Mr Hoens said.
“Because of the high costs associated with study, we knew many applicants would need financial assistance to help their dreams come true. Ruby was the strongest applicant in an excellent short list of finalists, and she’s a very impressive young woman to boot.
“We’re proud to award her the 2017 scholarship and wish Ruby well in her first steps towards what looks like a really bright future.”
Noosa District State High School principal Chris Roff said he was delighted Ruby would be financially supported to achieve her very best this year.
“This is the fifth year this scholarship has been awarded, and it attracts our finest students each year. This will be such a great start for Ruby, and we’re proud to have had her as a student and our school captain at Noosa District,” he said.
“The sky’s the limit for Ruby, and we wish her well. We’re also delighted to strengthen our relationship with Bendigo Bank through this great initiative.”
The Community Bank Scholarship will support Ruby with study related costs for the next two years at $5000 per year and she says she can’t wait to get started.
“It’s going to a great adventure and I’m so excited. I’m very thankful for our local Community Bank branches and for giving me this opportunity. It means so much to me, my family and my future. I’ve been actively involved in my community for years and hope to put my study to good use,” she said.
“I feel impassioned to make a change, and after a lot of hard work, look forward to seeing where all this will take me.”
