QUT has given "Student With Potential" encouragement awards - and $60,000 in gift cards - to more than 600 high school students from across the North Brisbane, Caboolture and Wide Bay regions.
The awards have been handed out at school assemblies over the past few weeks, culminating in a special celebration event at QUT's Gardens Point campus on September 22 for the Year 10, 11 and 12 students.
Recipients who attended the celebration included Year 12 students Nardine Knight (Everton Park State High) and Nicholas Kanes (Sandgate District State High), Year 11 student Siki Ngcwabe (Dakabin State High) and Year 10 student Mitchell Roberts (Bracken Ridge State High).
Brenda Kelly from QUT's Explore Uni team said each of the 614 students recognised had received a "Student with potential" certificate and a $100 Westfield gift card.
"We invited 24 schools to participate and the teachers nominated their students for the awards," she said.
"The awards aim to encourage students by recognising hard workers who have improved through the year and have the potential to go on to study at TAFE or university after school.
"Those last couple of years of high school can be challenging - we want to send a message that these students are doing a great job with their studies and to keep going!
"Over 40 per cent of all students studying at QUT now are the first in their family to ever go to uni. Most people studying at uni or TAFE are not rich and were not at the top of their class at school - they are studying because they have worked hard, found the right people to support them along the way and are now getting the training and experience they need for the job they want."
QUT's Students With Potential Awards started in 2008 as part of QUT's Widening Participation project, which aims to encourage students from all backgrounds to consider tertiary study.
Media contact: Mechelle McMahon, QUT media officer, 07 3138 9449 (Mon & Thurs) or media@qut.edu.au (Mon-Fri)
