Soon-to-be university students Jake Muggleton and Bernadette Quirk have received a significant financial boost from Auscott Limited, the Loder Foundation and Country Education Foundation.
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The scholarships, worth $11,500 per year for the duration of the recipients’ studies, assist with costs of post-graduate study including tuition, books, living expenses and other compulsory fees.
As the 37th recipient of the Auscott Education Programme Scholarship, Jake will complete a double degree of engineering and IT at Griffith University on the Gold Coast.
Jake was Moree Secondary College’s highest achiever as HSC results flooded in last year, receiving at ATAR of 94.35. He received two band sixes in music and engineering studies, and band fives in mathematics, physics and mathematics extension.
“I’ve always loved electronics and mechanics,” Jake said.
After completing the five-year degree, Jake hopes to return to Moree to do some rural work.
“I’m thinking about majoring in electricity because I am really interested in the high-voltage stuff seen in gins and farm machinery,” he said.
Jake was extremely grateful to receive the scholarship and said the financial backing would allow him to focus more on study.
As a talented saxophone player, he has joined a big band and looks forward to growing musically as well.
The Auscott scholarship tops off a fantastic year of accolades for the local, as he also received the Caltex Best All Rounder Award in October.
Meanwhile, Berndatte Quirk received the Bruce and Robyn Loder Education Scholarship- a partnership between the Loder Foundation, Auscott Limited and the Country Education Foundation.
The Bruce and Robyn Loder Education Scholarship honours the memory of one of Auscott’s longest-serving employees, Bruce Loder.
Bernadette will study a bachelor of environmental science and management at the University of Newcastle.
“I have been raised in a family who values environment and those sort of sciences and in Moree it’s relative. Local people are always looking for the extra knowledge and understanding of why, not just how,” she said.
The born and raised Moree girl said the scholarship was a good opportunity, which took some stress out of heading to university.
Bernadette scored the fifth highest result in the state for primary industries during her HSC, receiving a band six and band fives in the remainder of her subjects- biology, English advanced and society and culture.
“I want to thank Auscott for facilitating the scholarships each year, it’s such an honour. The support from the community has also been great,” she said.
