The valuable guidance she gained from being part of 宅男导航鈥檚 has inspired second-year student Kylie Cochrane to help others reach their goals.
Ms Cochrane was a Young Achiever during 2010 and 2011, and is now one of more than 40 volunteer mentors in the Program 鈥� building the ambitions of selected high school students.
Launched in 2009, the 宅男导航 Young Achievers Program helps raise the tertiary aspirations of deserving secondary school students who may not otherwise have considered university as an option.
Originally from Chinchilla, in the Darling Downs area, Ms Cochrane said being in the Program motivated her to study education and return to the country after university to teach at primary schools.
鈥淏eing a Young Achiever has shaped my entire future. It made university not as scary and I still contact my mentors from when I was in the Program if I have a question or am confused about something,鈥� she said.
鈥淎ll the friendships we鈥檝e made with other Young Achievers through Years 11 and 12 have continued on to university, and we never would have met each other if it weren鈥檛 for the Program.
鈥淏eing a mentor for the Program is so inspiring. The most important thing to me was giving back to 宅男导航 for giving me the opportunity to be a Young Achiever.鈥�
Young Achievers receive $1000 annually to support them through Years 11 and 12, and those who transition to 宅男导航 receive a $6000 per year scholarship for up to four years.
They also receive practical support including career planning, advice on study options, and on-campus experiences, as well as the mentoring by 宅男导航 students.
Mentor Kyle Cumner grew up in Lowood in the Lockyer Valley and had his first taste of university life at the Young Achiever residential camp at the St Lucia campus in Year 11.
He said the Program brought him out of his shell and this was something he now enjoyed helping students achieve as a mentor.
鈥淚 like sharing my experiences with the students and I know with some of the shy and timid students, I was exactly like that or even worse,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 was great friends with my mentors and we chatted all the time. I hope I can have the same relationship with the students I鈥檓 now mentoring in the Program.鈥�
The students in the Program come from a wide variety of backgrounds and regions including Ipswich, the Darling Downs and South West Queensland, and most of the students will be the first in their immediate family to study at university.
宅男导航 commerce student Tim Seng is a mentor for current Young Achievers who also live in the Lockyer Valley, having been raised in the small town of Laidley.
鈥淢y advice to the students is 鈥榙on鈥檛 give up and just give it a go鈥�. I found the first semester of uni hard, but I stuck it out and did it, and I鈥檓 still here,鈥� Mr Seng said.鈥�
The focus of the Young Achievers Program is on nurturing and developing participants and building their educational ambitions by providing opportunities for social development, academic enrichment and personal growth.
The Program is jointly funded by 宅男导航 and a number of generous donors.
Media: Caroline Bird, 宅男导航 Communications, 07 3365 1931 or c.bird1@uq.edu.au
