The power of an Elevate scholarship

Despite my parents' best efforts, my education has always been fraught with financial stress. As a young woman in a regional area, studying was an expensive gamble.

When I was 9, I packed empty school lunchboxes to save my family money. When I was 14, I mended holes in my school-dresses and shoes as I outgrew them. I pretended I didn't want an exorbitantly priced school jacket for 2 years, freezing through winters. During year 12, I hunted for my literature novels in op-shops.

My second hand maths textbooks cost two of my pay checks, and I considered dropping the subjects. I paid the $35 university application fee, sparing my parents the stress. I wondered if life would be easier if I stopped studying and worked more hours at Coles.

I wondered if I should study locally and not do STEM at all. When I moved out of home for university, I sunk time and energy into activities that other students didn't seem to worry about. On Sunday mornings I'd carry my washing basket for 30 minutes to the laundromat. I stalked catalogues for cheap groceries and made meal plans while the dryer whirred.

I spent Sunday afternoons searching supermarkets and grocers for bargains. I cooked as many meals as possible while the oven was on. Every hour I spent doing things the hard way was an hour not spent working, focusing on my assignments, or engaging with my community. I hated how my STEM subjects consumed endless hours in exchange for passing grades. I daydreamed about dropping them to work more.

I was relieved to graduate and start full time work. I rapidly realised that I was surrounded by folks who were far more educated than me, and was haunted by the fact that my STEM career depended on further study. I was tired of choosing between my basic needs and my education. On my long commutes I hunted for STEM careers that didn't demand more study.

I could finally turn the heating on when it was cold, and yet felt stranded like the high-schoolgirl shivering in her poorly mended school-dress.

I can afford the study resources I need - textbooks, a functional computer, the internet bill. I can even afford the convenience tax.

I don't spend hours on laundry anymore. I don't spend hours agonising over carrot prices. I drive when public transport would double my travel time. I can see specialist doctors for my chronic illness. While the Elevate program is more than a series of payments, it's those payments which have given me the time and resources to do training, networking, volunteering, public speaking... All the extra activities which will enable me to flourish as a STEM leader.

The Elevate program has transformed my relationship with studying for the first time into a bright and exciting opportunity for the future, instead of a financial hardship.