PORT Stephens Council Mayor Bruce Mackenzie joined with representatives of eleven local businesses to present a total of $28,000 to support local students at a special ceremony Thursday night.

Fourteen deserving recipients each received $2,000 under the 2017 Mayoral Academic Scholarships program, helping students

in their first year of tertiary education to achieve their aspirations.

The value and number of scholarships was a new record, increasing by 40 percent compared with last year.

Recipients under this year’s program are studying in a range of fields including physiotherapy, business, law, science, psychology, aviation, creative industry, engineering, nursing and teaching.

This year’s sponsors included Weathertex, Newcastle Airport, The Wests Group, Hunter Land, McDonald Jones Homes, Destination Port Stephens, Raymond Terrace Bowling Club, Tomago Aluminium, Macka’s Sand and Soil Supplies, Salamander Bay Recycling and SUEZ Recycling & Recovery.

Mayor MacKenzie said the program had highlighted the amazing things people in Port Stephens set out to achieve, since it was introduced seven years ago, and this year was particularly special.

“We have a lot of smart students in Port Stephens and I was particularly blown away by the high standard of the applications this year,” Mayor MacKenzie said

“The contribution the sponsors have made to this community through this program is measured well beyond this immediate financial assistance,” Cr MacKenzie said..

Grace Gayden, one of the Mayoral Academic Scholarships recipients, told Bay News Of The Area, “It’s really awesome that local businesses and council members want to invest in local students who want to get qualified and be further educated.”

“I feel very blessed to have had this help for my first year of university as it’s opened a lot of doors for me, and enabled me to study my dream degree at Sydney University,” Ms Gayden added.

2017 MAYORAL ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS RECIPIENTS include:

Anneka Zerbes – Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Matthew Wallder – Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Jessica Miller –  Bachelor of Biomedical Science (University of Newcastle)

Julia Macris –  Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Sarah Swainson –  Bachelor of Creative Industries (University of Newcastle)

James Spearpoint –  Bachelor of Aviation (Swinburne University of Technology)

Sophie Cottam –  Bachelor of Mathematics and Bachelor of Science (University of Newcastle)

Lachlan White – Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Sarah Bell – Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) (University of New South Wales)

Kayla Campbell – Bachelor of Teaching (Health & Physical Education) (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Grace Kim – Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (Australian National University)

Dannielle Brennan – Bachelor of Biomedical Science (University of Newcastle)

Aaron Sherritt – Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Grace Gayden – Bachelor of Medical Science (University of Sydney)

 

 

By Jewell DRURY