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Future Bright For Xavier High School Students After Kwong Lee Dow Scholarship Success

08 December 2017

TWO Xavier High students have been awarded a prestigious Melbourne University scholarship, on the cusp of commencing their HSC studies.

Daveida Azzi and Jack Woodman, both 16, were nominated for the Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars program by their teachers.

The duo join 11 winners from the school in the last five years.

To be selected, students must not only be endorsed by their school, but also need to be a top academic achiever, a community contributor and active citizen and leader.

Though they still have a long way to go before choosing exactly what they want to pursue as a career, both have an inkling of the direction they want to go.

Daveida, a talented netballer for the Albury Tigers, has her eyes set on optometry or sports science.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure what I want to do just yet,” she said.

“Maybe something medical, like optometry or sport science.

“PE and maths are probably my favourite subjects.”

Jack has his sights set on a career in the Air Force, but it’s physics that has captured his heart, for the time being at least.

“The ambition is to join the Air Force, but this scholarship does open up some other opportunities,” he said.

“I’ve been hoping to study physics and had planned to do that through the Air Force, but this would also allow me to do that at a really great university.”

A talented pianist, guitarist and singer, Jack said it was less about earning a spot a university and more about finding motivation.

“What it does is give us options, it opens up doors,” he said.

Daveida agreed, saying it was the perfect push as the two entered two years of HSC study.

“I’ve always been a goal setter, and something like this is a big motivator to keep pushing,” she said.

“This gives me a really good chance to go and attend the university I want to go to.”

The first KLD Program ran in 2007, attracting just over 700 nominations.

It has grown rapidly in the 10 years since it was founded, with more than 7000 nominees from over 500 schools applying each year.

Professor Kwong Lee Dow is a former Melbourne University vice-chancellor, who was notable for contributing to a number of curriculum reforms.

He said the nominations recognised much more than just academic achievement.

“They’ve been chosen not only because there is a feeling that they will succeed and will do well in the University, but that they have qualities of leadership, engagement and involvement,” he said.

Participants will experience life on campus and benefit from access to the University’s resources.

SOURCE: Border Mail