Serving rural communities was a powerful motivation for Mount Gambier school leaver Agnes Doyle to enrol in a Bachelor of Medical Studies at the University of Adelaide at the beginning of last year.
Now 12 months into the course, Agnes has been willing to share her life story to date in a university publication.
“Growing up in Mount Gambier it was always clear to me that regional healthcare was under resourced and underfunded,” Agnes said.
“Asthma frequently landed me in the hospital, where I encountered various challenges: from being admitted to the adult ICU ward due to limited space in the children’s ward, enduring month-long waits to see a doctor, to traveling to Adelaide for surgery.
“The lack of staff and resources at hospitals in the country really impacted my family and me.
“I am now driven to work in rural and regional communities and making a meaningful difference in people’s lives while helping to reduce the shortage of healthcare workers.”
Agnes said it was an honour to have received the Augustus Short Scholarship and she was extremely grateful for the donors who made this possible.
“Despite working two jobs during my gap year post high school to fund my university studies, the expense of relocating from country South Australia and living away from the family home was challenging,” she said.
“The Augustus Short Scholarship has allowed me to fully immerse myself in university life, dedicating more time to my studies and eliminating the stress of financial burdens.”
An Adelaide University spokesperson said the Augustus Short Scholarship has been a lifeline to high achieving students experiencing disadvantage since 2003.
“However, over the past 20 years, we have received more scholarship applications than we can support, and hundreds of deserving students have missed out on this invaluable financial support during their studies,” the spokesperson said.
“We need support so we can offer more Augustus Short scholarships to disadvantaged students.
“The Right Reverend Dr Augustus Short was the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Adelaide and believed that no student should be prevented from pursuing a higher education because of financial hardship.
“As the first Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, Dr Short encouraged the creation of educational and charitable institutions that served the whole community.
“We know that some of Australia’s highest-achieving students run the risk of never attending university because they live in rural areas and/or are facing financial barriers.
“Augustus Short Scholarships offer these students meaningful financial support throughout their undergraduate degree, removing barriers to their participation in higher education.
“In naming this scholarship fund, we acknowledge the profound impact Dr Augustus Short had on the University of Adelaide.”
A memorial window to Dr Short made by the German firm of Mayer and Co. is located in St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in Millicent.
His eldest daughter Millicent lived at Mayura Station and the nearby town is named after her.
