A new scholarship will help break down barriers to tertiary education for Geelong and regional students.
The Dawn Wade Foundation Scholarships will be offered at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds and Waterfront campuses to support 30 students attending university over the next four years.
Dawn Wade Foundation director Darrell Wade said the scholarships honoured his parents, Dawn and John Wade, who were focused on giving back to the Geelong community.
“Education remains the key to enable people to live better lives, so equitable access to tertiary education is an absolute game changer for many people,” he said.
“More than anything else, education is the intergenerational game changer, so it is critical that quality education like Deakin is available to as many people as possible.
“This recognises that there are many families in Geelong that, for various reasons, have difficulty accessing tertiary education, especially recent migrant families and the disadvantaged.
“The scholarships for first-in-family access to university will not only change the recipients’ lives and their families but also contribute to the development of the Geelong region and Australia more broadly.”
Deakin vice chancellor Professor Iain Martin said the scholarships would be offered for the first time next year and were “lifechanging” for students across the region.
“Through the Dawn Wade Foundation, the Wade family have been making positive impact and change, particularly to the local Geelong community,” he said.
“By opening doors to further education, we can not only change the lives of the individuals but also create intergenerational change, bridge widening social gaps and building better communities.
“Being the first person in your family to go to university can often make it seem out of reach, but gifts like this can make that goal a reality for students who would not have been able to attend otherwise.”
The Dawn Wade Scholarship will be open to students who live within the City of Greater Geelong or are considering relocating from a rural or regional location.
