Local News

Grafton Midday Rotary names 2022 Frank Glasson scholarship winner

Grafton Midday Rotary presented Sarah Rigby-Pierse with its Frank Glasson scholarship at a recent club meeting.

Leila Thompson, Midday Rotary Youth Director, welcomed Sarah as a worthy recipient of the $3500 scholarship which was inspired by the dedication of one of our club’s foundation members, Frank Glasson, who was professionally concerned with finding work for unemployed members of our community and was particularly dedicated to assisting young people in their endeavours to establish futures.

2022 Frank Glasson scholar Sarah Rigby-Pierse (right) with (from l to r) Grafton Midday Rotary scholarship committee representatives Richard Nichols, Leila Thompson and Judy Glasson. Image: Contributed.

The scholarship is designed to attract bright young people eligible for university entry who, whilst possessing the intelligence and motivation to commence, and complete, a university degree, might be in some way disadvantaged (financially or otherwise) and thus able to benefit from the financial assistance offered by this scholarship.

Mrs Thompson thanked the local high school principals for recommending three superb candidates and congratulated Sarah for her outstanding qualities which included involvement with Girl Guides, Grafton City Soccer Club, Grafton High Student Representative Council, her role as Prefect and participant in their Peer Support Program.

Sarah thanked Grafton Midday Rotary members, explaining that the scholarship will assist her to undertake a Bachelor of Education at the Charles Sturt University campus in Port Macquarie. Sarah outlined her aim to give back to the community, particularly to encourage students to learn about the opportunities that may be provided by Visual Arts, one of her personal interests. Furthermore, as an individual from a regional area, she hopes to teach children regionally.

Sarah mentioned the difficulties presented by the Covid virus from a student’s perspective, as many faced the same hardship throughout their senior year, but Sarah is now focussed on her new-found opportunity to study, with the much-appreciated assistance of the scholarship, and to ultimately become a teacher.

Midday Rotary President, Robert Blanchard, closed by saying, “We are delighted to assist Sarah as a representative of her generation, a local resident who is about to experience life at university and to honour Frank Glasson’s dream to ensure young people succeed in their chosen career.”