First in her family scholarship recipient

First in family scholarship recipient

Jessica Kennedy was at the cinema unwinding after a stressful week when she received the email that she was a "First in Family" scholarship recipient. "I kept reading the email over and over again. I was so excited! I must've missed a half hour of the movie, at least."

Throughout high school, Jessica was always academically successful and is grateful that her public school teachers nurtured that in her to help get her where she is today.

Moving to Sydney

"Bathurst has a country town vibe. It has a community feel where the teachers really want to make a connection with you. If they see a talent in you, they want to work to develop that talent," shares Jessica.

It was her Advanced English teacher that encouraged Jessica to apply for scholarships at Macquarie, knowing that it would make her transition to university a lot smoother.

Understandably, moving away from home and embarking on an undergraduate degree was very daunting at first. Growing up in a single-parent household, she is extremely close to her family, especially her brother who is now in year 10, as she regularly looked after him while her mother was working. So it was with mixed emotions, excitement and pride but also sadness, that Jessica's family sent her off to Sydney.

Studying during a pandemic

The onset of the pandemic further complicated matters by leaving Jessica homesick and isolated at times, unable to meet classmates in person, and struggling to stay motivated with online learning.

But the "First in Family" scholarship has certainly helped.  When she started her first semester, she was also working 15 hours per week on top of her demanding coursework. The scholarship allowed Jessica to cut back on her shifts, and focus more fully on her studies.

As Jessica puts it, "I don’t want to be a lawyer or a psychologist that knows 60% of the content because I’m simply working to live, I want to be a professional in either field that knows 90–100% of the course content because I’ve had the time to learn properly."

Jessica is now well-adjusted to her course and life at Macquarie, even having made some new uni mates via Zoom. She was inspired to study law by legal studies and her time on the debating team in high school and to study psychology by witnessing the mental health challenges of some of her family and friends. In the future, Jessica hopes to be an international lawyer, helping vulnerable populations.

Seeking justice for others

"The quote that resonates with me the most is as follows: 'if not me, then who?' The world needs more advocates, individuals and communities without voices require others to speak for them, and injustice must be quelled by justice. This scholarship is one form of giving that has enabled me to reach my goals, and all I wish is to help other people in both international and local communities, so that they too may reach their goals without hindrance."

To say that Jessica is grateful for the opportunities scholarship donors have provided her would be an understatement.

In her own words, "Coming from a regional town and a single-parent household, the amazing financial support provided to me from your generous scholarship has already improved the quality of my education. Words cannot describe how incredible this opportunity truly is for someone like myself. I hope that one day I will be able to carry on the same generosity you have provided me to other individuals in need, so they too may have their obstacles reduced."