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Thursday, 4 July 2013

Self-belief and determination - backed by scholarships and support services - can help rural students overcome perceived barriers to further studies, Hedland students will discover when The University of Western Australia visits their classrooms tomorrow morning (July 5).

The message forms part of this week's UWA Gives Back Pilbara Tour to celebrate the University's Centenary Year and encourage local high school students to consider studying at UWA to gain new knowledge for their resources-rich communities.

The visitors include Eli Hurley, who grew up in Derby, served four years in the Australian Regular Army and now studies engineering, science and finance for a Bachelor of Science degree at UWA.

Eli aims to create a new astronautics business and will invite Hedland Senior High School students to draw inspiration from his own story.

"Growing up, I never expected to find myself where I am today, and that was for a very simple reason - it didn't seem possible," Eli said.

"Luckily, this didn't turn out to be the case for me, but for many other young people in remote and rural townships, this insidious misconception can be a huge barrier to tertiary education.

"I would like to help remove this barrier and see more of our rural kids gain the self-belief and determination to achieve above and beyond the status quo and external expectations.

"Young people (especially the ones straight out of high school) have lots of soul-searching to do in terms of finding what they're really passionate about.

"I believe UWA's many student groups, clubs, organisations and events are one of the best ways for students to achieve this - as I have done and continue to do."

Also with the tour is UWA graduate and former Newman Senior High School student James McClements, who now oversees more than $3 billion in international business investments for a business he co-founded - Resource Capital Funds (RCF).

Mr McClements won a BHP scholarship, completed an Economics degree at UWA and recently helped create more new scholarships for UWA Business School students.

Mr McClements will lead informal student discussions on how to be an effective leader in the classroom, workplace and community.

Aspire UWA - which works with partner schools across the state to encourage local students to consider going to university - will host classroom activities that include a ‘Mind your Own Business' game for aspiring young CEOs.

The Aspire UWA team will also provide information on scholarships, alternative entry pathways to university and support for disadvantaged students.

The UWA Gives Back Pilbara Tour is presented by the UWA Business School as part of the University's 2013 Centenary Celebrations to encourage high school students to consider tertiary studies, and to stimulate local debate on important regional issues at a series of high-level Leaders' Luncheons in Karratha, Port Hedland and Newman.

This week's Tour is supported by BHP Billiton, Woodside and Resource Capital Funds.

Media references

Verity Chia (UWA Business School)  (+61 8)  6488 1346
Louise Pollard (Aspire UWA)  (+61 8)  6488 3646  /  (+61 4) 12 267 148
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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