Kolby - reaching for the skies

During high school Kolby had a goal. He was striving towards a career in mechanical engineering, with an ultimate goal of reaching the Air Force.

For a country kid in Griffith facing the HSC, the journey towards university was a daunting one. Kolby worked hard in Year 12, and with the support of his maths teacher Dad, he excelled.

Being selected for the Dunmore Lang College and Country Education Foundation Scholarship was the helping hand Kolby needed to boost him into university. The financial burden of College and University was a heavy one for Kolby and his dad so, to be awarded such a prestigious scholarship was a ‘huge relief’.

Kolby has made his family proud and is still aiming for a career in the Air Force as he embarks on a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.

This scholarship has allowed university studies to become the priority for Kolby, making the transition into student life a smooth one.  “Coming to college made everything easier. The support you get here, you can’t get anywhere else”.  Receiving the scholarship has taken a lot of pressure from his study expenses and freed up funds for other purposes.

"It’s meant I have not had to go out and get a part time or casual job like so many others do. It gives me the weekends off and I can relax mentally,” he said.

“It’s been a massive help. It’s freed up funds to purchase textbooks and equipment. I have mates living here [DLC] that pay the full amount.”

He said accommodation was his biggest annual expense, however it had been worth it, saying it was a “great” place to stay and that he had made good relationships with fellow students.

This story was first published in the Dunmore Lang College NGARRA MAGAZINE.