Career in medicine awaits 2021 Auscott Scholarship recipient

A career in medicine is the aim of former Narrabri High School student Mae Harvey, the delighted winner of the 2021 Auscott Scholarship.

And her aim is to return to the country community to work as a doctor.

The valuable annual Auscott Scholarship is a long-established award – Mae is the 55th Narrabri Shire recipient.

The scholarship assists students to meet expenses such as accommodation, books, and other living expenses, totalling up to $11,500 per year over the life of the scholarship.

Mae has enrolled at Newcastle University’s Callaghan campus to study nursing and later medicine.

Her ambition is to ultimately return to country NSW as a doctor.

Mae, the daughter of Carmel and Denis Harvey, was born and raised in Narrabri.

“It’s just awesome,” she said when asked about her reaction to the scholarship.

“I am so thrilled and very honoured that I have this opportunity. I am grateful to Auscott for being so generous. It is going to be a massive help with my accommodation and university fees.

“And Auscott is so supportive, they just don’t present funding. They check to see how scholarship recipients are going and continue the interest and support.”

Mae will be living on campus at Newcastle University studying for her Bachelor of Nursing degree over three years and plans to finish that course and go on to medicine, a five-year course.

“I hope to continue with medicine at Newcastle,” said Mae.

“I love it here so far and will see how things go. Newcastle Uni has a very good medical program here.

“My interest and goal has always been to study medicine.

“And I am very passionate about that. And I have decided to do it on the post graduate pathway, studying nursing first then medicine. I am willing to embark on this path however long it takes.

“I have family members who are in the medical profession as doctors and nurses and they have all said the best doctors they know have been nurses first.”

Mae said she hoped to follow her particular interest in paediatrics. “I would love to do that.”

The Auscott scholarship is available to students who reside in the Narrabri Shire and attend one of the local high schools.

“Criteria used by the selection committee include realistic ambition, need, the ability to succeed in a chosen course, motivation, academic performance, personal presentation, community involvement and maturity,” a spokesman said.

“Academic results are not the sole basis on which a decision is reached.

Mae joins other Auscott scholarship winners for the 2021 scholastic year from the Macquarie and Murrumbidgee Valleys and takes the total number of scholarships that Auscott has offered across all valleys to 160 since its inception in 1971.

“We are pleased to support our local community and students by offering this program,” the Auscott spokesperson said.

The annual Auscott investment in the scholarship program currently runs at approximately $149,500.

The scholarship award follows an interview process that was undertaken in late 2020 by a panel of representatives from the respective high schools and Auscott.

The award of the annual Auscott Scholarship has seen many young people from the Narrabri Shire, and other irrigation valleys, helped with generous funding, but also ongoing encouragement and support, as they set off on their academic journeys.