FORMER Noosa District State High School student Sarah Bailey just can’t wipe the smile off her face.
The Cooroy local is about to head off to the University of Queensland with a scholarship in one hand and a suitcase in the other. Sarah was one of several impressive applicants of the annual Cooroy Community Bank branch scholarship program, and will now use the funds towards realising her dream of tertiary study.
Sarah plans to tackle a Bachelor of Arts degree this year and then move on to a dual degree of Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Honours). It’s the beginning of an exciting chapter for the Cooroy teen who has already found a lot of success through her hard work in recent years.
Remarkably, Sarah has still found time to give back through volunteer work with Meal on Wheels, Lifeline’s Bookfest and Noosa’s Ultimate Sports Festival.
Sunshine Coast Community Financial Services Limited (SCCFSL) manages the Cooroy Community Bank branch, and its chairman, Rick Cooper, said providing support to Sarah to further her tertiary education was part of the Community Bank branch’s commitment 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 planned attending university for the first time in 2015,” Mr Cooper said.
“Because of the high costs associated with living away, we knew many applicants would need financial assistance to help their dreams come true. Sarah was the finest applicant in a strong list of finalists and she’s a very impressive young woman to boot. We’re proud to award her the 2015 scholarship and wish Sarah well in her first steps towards what looks like a really bright future,” Mr Cooper added. Noosa District State High School deputy principal, Stacy Wilmore said she was delighted Sarah would be financially supported to achieve her very best this year, thanks to the generosity of the bank.
“This is the third year this scholarship has been awarded and it attracts our finest students each year. This will be such a great start for Sarah and we’re proud to have had her as a student at Noosa District. The sky’s the limit for Sarah and we wish her well. We’re also delighted to strengthen our relationship with the Cooroy Community Bank branch through this great initiative,” Ms Wilmore said.
The Cooroy Community Bank Scholarship will support Sarah 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 be a great adventure, and I’m so excited. I’m very thankful for our local Cooroy Community Bank branch 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 by helping reduce poverty in our world. I feel impassioned to make a change and after a lot of hard work, look forward to seeing where all this will take me,” Sarah beamed.
