RSL Queensland Celebrates 2021 Scholars

 

RSL Queensland Scholarship recipient Montgomery Chigwidden and his partner. 

Since 2017, the program has been providing funds to Defence families experiencing hardship to assist with the costs of tertiary study or vocational education. The scholarships aim to improve recipients’ employability, contribute to their sense of purpose, and reduce financial barriers to study.

This year’s recipients were honoured at a ceremony held in Brisbane on 9 September 2021. RSL Queensland Acting Chief Executive Officer Robert Skoda says it’s powerful to see scholars continuing to open doors to opportunity through education.

“RSL Queensland has committed over $2 million in the last five years to support more than 300 veterans and their families from across Queensland and the Northern Territory to pursue further education,” he says.

“We know many ex-serving members feel a profound sense of loss when they leave Defence and may experience challenges with the transition to civilian life and, likewise, their partners and children are equally impacted by the frequent relocation often required of Defence families.

“The support and encouragement to find a new purpose through education is a powerful thing to give our community.” 

The ceremony was, according to Mr Skoda, a fantastic way for this year’s recipients to reflect on their educational achievements, meet others in similar situations and build their support networks.

“For RSL Queensland, it is an equally important opportunity for us to meet scholars and their families, to understand the impact these scholarships have on their lives,” he says.  

OPENING THE DOOR TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

RSL Queensland Scholarship recipient Simon Wilson and his partner. 

Recipients can use their scholarship to upskill, re-qualify, or develop a career path compatible with the Defence lifestyle. This year’s recipients are undertaking study from a diverse range of fields including Aviation, Education, Graphic Design, Library & Information Services, Nursing, Law, Social Work and Spatial Science. 

Ex-Defence scholarship recipient Simon Wilson served for five years before medically separating from service earlier this year.  

“When you leave Defence, a lot of your existing support networks are impacted,” says Simon, who is studying Behavioural Science at QUT.  

“The scholarship from RSL Queensland means I don’t have to put myself into further debt to study and for that I am very thankful to RSL Queensland for their support.”  

It is a sentiment echoed by Veteran Dependent Scholarship recipient Montgomery Chigwidden, who is studying a Bachelor of Information Technology and hopes to pursue a career in cyber security.  

“My dad served in the Vietnam War and receiving the scholarship means a lot to me,” he says.  

“It has allowed me to get a head start, and focus on studying without worrying about the financial stress of study.” 

RSL QUEENSLAND SERVICES

For more information on RSL Queensland services, please visit https://www.rslqld.org/find-help.

Please note: RSL Queensland regularly reviews and refines its services to ensure we’re effectively supporting veterans and their families. As a result, the RSL Scholarships program will not be taking on new ex-Defence and partner applicants at this time. 

Scholarships for veteran dependants are available through our partnership with the Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust (AVCAT). Applications open 18 August 2024. For more information, click here: https://avcat.org.au/scholarships/ 

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