The Portland Women’s Service Club (PWSC) has awarded its tertiary education scholarships for 2024 to Hannah Jones and Maddy Molloy, who are both starting university this year.

The club has been making a contribution to the education of young local women since 1993, having now assisted 48 local girls and their families to undertake further education.

PWSC President Ro Menzel said the Club received excellent applications from the girls, making the Scholarship Committee’s selection all the more difficult.

“As well as undertaking our own fund-raising the club has received generous donations from some local organisations and individuals in the past twelve months,” Mrs Menzel said.

Maddy has just completed year 12 at Bayview College and finished with exceptional end-of-year results.

She is eager to start studying Bachelor of Science at Deakin University Waurn Ponds after a having had a long interest in biology, which she would like to follow through into further studies.

“I’m thinking of majoring in either animal biology or cells and genomics,” she said.

“And I definitely want to go into postgrad studies after uni, if I’m good enough I’d like to do a doctorate in veterinary medicine, but that’s a long way away.”

Maddy said the scholarship will allow her to put the times she needs into getting a good start on her studies, rather than needing to work long hours to cover rent and pay for textbooks.

“I think I will be able to settle in a lot better, not have to worry about getting a full time job and try and juggle that with uni, it will definitely give more flexibility to focus on uni,” she said.

She will soon move to the Geelong area, ahead of classes starting at the beginning of March and said she has lots of friends also studying at the Waurn Ponds campus to show her the ropes.

Hannah meanwhile completed year 12 at Portland Secondary College at the end of 2022 but took a gap year after accepting an offer to study a double degree in Psychological Science and Criminology, also at Deakin Waurn Ponds.

She has since moved down from Tyrendarra to Geelong where she has been working in childacre, and getting plenty of good advice form her older sister who is just finishing the same course.

“I want to go into youth justice,” she said.

“Working with schools and your youth and with their mental health, whether that be in the police force or with youth justice committees, things like that.”

“The scholarship is going to help a lot, a hundred percent, with rent, textbooks, and everything in between that you need for uni

The pair will be presented with their scholarships at PWSC’s February meeting, while the club’s first fundraiser for 2024 will be the film The Miracle Club staring Dame Maggie Smith at the Portland Arts Centre on Sunday 18 February. Tickets are on sale at Intimate Apparell. 

Mrs Menzel thanked all the girls who applied for the scholarship and congratulated them on their presentation and interviews. She also thanked the schools for their support to this long standing scholarship.

 “We are looking forward to another year of service to the community and we are always very grateful to our community for their support.” Mrs Menzel said.