Courtney McCreery

Courtney McCreery became seriously ill just weeks into her second year of a Biochemistry major. Exhausted with each passing day, she struggled to the end of trimester.

After months of comprehensive testing, Courtney was diagnosed with an uncommon neurological sleep disorder: idiopathic hypersomnia. Often mistaken with narcolepsy, Courtney experiences extreme sleep inertia and severe fatigue.

“Waking up is one of the hardest things for me to do physically. I need about two hours before I can do anything,” she says.

Courtney had to regroup and find a way to not only live with her condition, but to thrive. She regularly battles with brain fog, memory loss and difficulty retaining information, affecting her ability to study.

Visiting relatives in the UK during a study break, her enthusiasm for archaeology was rekindled with a trip to the British Museum. On returning to her home on the Gold Coast, she discovered Griffith was offering a new major in archaeology, but only at the Nathan campus.

Courtney’s condition makes what would be an easy choice for most extremely challenging. There are restrictions on when she can drive, meaning no early or late classes coupled with the daunting commute from the Gold Coast to Brisbane through notoriously unpredictable traffic.

Committing to this new major was difficult, despite taking a trimester off to save money, a rental crisis and sky rocketing inflation heaped on more financial challenges. Her dreams seemed destined to be frozen in time like the artefacts in the museum. But since receiving her Brighter Futures Scholarship, she can subsidise her rent and drop back her working hours.

She now splits her week between Gold Coast, where she still works part-time on the weekends to support herself. On the weekdays she lives in a share house close to where she studies at Nathan. Courtney has also put her energy into starting the Griffith University Archaeology Society. It’s a timetable that’s far busier than most university students.

But for Courtney the scholarship is a welcome safety net, easing the financial pressure on her and giving her space to live up to her potential.

“Donors may not feel like they are giving a lot, but every dollar has an impact on students like me juggling a chronic health condition and following their dreams.”