Doctor of Medicine student Miah Hickman says that being awarded the Peter Hoj Mandy Thomas Scholarship made it possible for her dream of studying at UQ to come true.
The proud Wiradjuri woman from rural NSW always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but due to financial constraints had assumed she would only be able to study at smaller, local universities. Even when she was offered a position at UQ through QTAC, she thought there was no way she could afford to move here to study.
“My mum and I took a day trip to visit the St Lucia campus, and we fell in love with it,” Miah said.
“After wandering around the grounds, we decided we had to find a way for me to accept the offer and study here, I couldn’t imagine studying anywhere else.”
She began working long hours and saving as much as she could, but accommodation and living expenses still seemed insurmountable, until she received a phone call saying she was successful in her application for the Peter Hoj Mandy Thomas Scholarship, which provides up to three years of accommodation.
“I was driving in the car with my Mum when we got the phone call from the scholarships team, and we were so excited and emotional we had to pull the car over.
“To have accommodation covered, and be staying at the incredible Kev Carmody House, is just unbelievable and it made my dream of studying at UQ possible.”
Now well into her first semester, Miah said she still feels grateful every day.
“Every day I walk through the campus and still can’t believe I got here. My whole family and mob were behind me during this whole application process and are so excited for me.”
Miah has also taken advantage of the support offered by the ATSIS Unit, and signed up for both the ITAR tutoring support and a referencing workshop.
“Through ITAR I have been assigned a tutor who is a practicing pharmacist who works in a hospital setting, so she is really well-placed to help me with my studies, so I feel really confident and excited about the years ahead here at UQ.”