Robyn Lock had been applying for scholarships throughout her Bachelor of Business with the philosophy of “you’ve got to be in it to win it”. But when she found out she was the successful recipient of Griffith Business School’s Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) Scholarship, she says she was “completely blown away”.
“Even just getting to the interview stage was amazing so it was very exciting and a little overwhelming when I found out I won,” the Bachelor of Business student says. “It was so great to feel like someone was recognising me and my potential.”
The SAB Scholarship will see Robyn receive $6000 in two installments to assist her with the expenses incurred as a result of study. She says this will definitely come in handy as she has been pre-approved for entry into a masters degree.
“It’s nice to know what you are doing is valued and appreciated,” Robyn says of her win. “Being at university is expensive and it’s a bit of a struggle to do it, especially when you are working full-time, and a mature-aged student like me.”
The SAB Scholarship is an inaugural award that has been personally funded by Strategic Advisory Board members with the aim of inspiring the next generation of responsible business leaders. It is offered to a student who is first in their family to attend tertiary education.
Susan Rallings.
Susan Rallings, Chair of the Board says the initiative was of great importance to members. “We understand that education can be transformative and provide opportunities to people that they had never previously considered,” she explains.
“The members of the Strategic Advisory Board know all too well that with the changing global work environment leaders need to be able to navigate this shift to make a difference, and we wanted to lead by example in making a contribution to the Griffith Business School community.”
Robyn originally began her career in teaching at a different university but soon realised it wasn’t the right fit for her. She knew she needed a degree that would be more flexible and a career path more suited to her personality. “Griffith suits who I am and the way I want to learn so much better. I can be flexible with how I attend classes, being that I work full-time. I can listen in online, I can email staff directly and get answers.
“Attending university while working can be really hard to juggle but Griffith made it that little bit easier,” she says.
One thing she particularly liked about Griffith University’s Bachelor of Business was how many different career choices she had thanks to the wide array of degree pathways. “The variety of options available really suited me because I know business is what I want but I don’t want to be pigeonholed.”
She also points out that as someone already in the industry, it’s been really helpful to her to have lecturers and tutors with relevant experience. “A lot of the staff have come from industry, which is great. They’ve worked somewhere for 10, 15, 20 years and then come here. They’ve done their pathways to being a lecturer and a tutor and many are still working in industry while teaching and I find that really valuable.”
Robyn urges anyone who is unsure about applying for scholarships to just give it a go. “Just keep applying,” she says. “Always keep applying because you never know. Fill out that application honestly, put time into it, get the right people to support you with it. It’s so worth it.”
