Unleashing the power of education

Approaching his final year of the Bachelor of Economics (Advanced Studies), Cody is looking forward to graduating from university and finding a job in the finance sector. A goal that he has dreamed of since high school.

From age eight, Cody's grandmother Margaret stepped in to raise him. He'd had a challenging childhood and missed some schooling through no fault of his own. Recognising his natural intelligence, Margaret placed a strong emphasis on Cody's education. She knew with the right support and environment he would flourish, despite being diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

At the time Cody came to live with her, Margaret was living in Penrith. She enrolled him a few schools in their local area, but without the appropriate support he needed, he found it difficult to focus.

Margaret was willing to do whatever it took to give her grandson every opportunity to succeed - she put everything on the line for him, selling her home and moving further away from Sydney to enable Cody to attend a better school.

Cody’s grandmother spent almost all her retirement savings getting him through. He recalls times when she would skip a meal to keep costs down, always putting his needs and his education first.

Her belief in Cody was well founded. He harnessed his talents and excelled in high school, achieving Dux in Year 11 and an outstanding result in his HSC.

During his school years, he was particularly interested in commerce and economics. When it came to choosing a path to university, economics at the University of Sydney was his first choice. Cody says he was attracted to study at Sydney because of its reputation as a top university, and also because of the campus.

When he received an offer, Margaret was bursting with pride. His dream of attending university and working in the finance sector was one step closer. But she was also worried about how they would manage the costs of Cody moving to Sydney, on top of everything else.

To ease some of the financial pressure, Cody applied for an equity scholarship. They were both thrilled when he was accepted as the recipient of a Sydney Scholars Award.

The financial support of the scholarship enabled Cody to fully immerse himself in university life without having to work part-time in his first year. It also helped to cover some of his accommodation costs and has meant he hasn’t had to rely on his grandmother as much financially.

Today Cody lives in a share house near campus with some of his friends. With graduation on the horizon, he is looking forward to undertaking an internship in his final year and landing a role in financial analysis.

He is grateful to his grandmother for the sacrifices she made for him and his education. Without her unwavering support, and the help of the scholarship, his future could have looked vastly different.

“After years of paying for me, it's good to see her not worry about me. I’m proud of the fact that I’m at university and doing well," says Cody.

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