Students’ Future Fund scholarship recipient Grace Sholl has faced a lot in her 19 years of life, yet her ‘never quit’ attitude has seen her resilience pay off. The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) student is about to enter her third year of study at the Mount Gravatt campus and was recently awarded the School of Applied Psychology Griffith Community Award and the School of Applied Psychology External Community Award for the volunteer work she undertook for Griffith and the greater community.
Grace was born premature and was developmentally delayed growing up. She needed special educational support and had several years of speech therapy and private tutoring to keep up with her education. The extra attention led to bullying and name calling from her classmates as they deemed her as ‘different’.
“For the first 16 years of my life I was convinced I'd never achieve anything, let alone be accepted into university or achieve a scholarship!” Grace said.
“Psychology and mental health has been an almost lifelong passion for me, having been interested in the field since I was 12; both of my parents live with mental illness and as a child I sometimes had to care for them, so I decided I'd become a psychologist to support people like them. I'd go to second-hand stores and buy old psychology textbooks to read for fun, because I was just so keen to learn more!
“When I was 14, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder, which further inspired me to pursue psychology after experiencing stigma at high school due to misinformation and a lack of understanding. I'd faced many difficulties during high school due to my health conditions and my sexuality, to the point that I didn't feel free or safe to be myself,” Grace said.
Grace has a passion for advocacy and volunteering and since receiving her scholarship has been able to take on more commitments as it offered more time and financial freedom for her to pursue and help various organisations.
“I've been volunteering with Griffith Mates for the past year and have been just been elected to the SRC for a second term. Outside of Griffith, I'm a member of the Headspace Meadowbrook Youth Reference Group (YRG), where I do policy consultation, help develop and review promotional material, and sit on clinical interview panels to ensure applicants are youth friendly. I'm also a Lived Experience Consultant with Australians for Mental Health, where I advise on and review policy recommendations, they deliver to the National Mental Health Commission and the Federal Government.
“In my local community I'm a member of the Logan Youth Action Group (LYAG), where I represent the voices of young people at a local government level and am leading the development of a youth-lead mental health and wellbeing project. On a state level, I have just been invited to join the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) Youth Advisory Council (YAC), where I will be actively engaging with and consulting with other young people to gain broader perspectives on various topics and issues, to give feedback to the Commissioners, and so I can advocate for and amplify the voices of young Queenslanders at forums and in the media. I've also just been appointed to the Queensland Mental Health Commission Steering Needs-analysis project Committee as a Consumer Representative. I also do support work with School Strike 4 Climate (SS4C), where I facilitate meetings, mediate conflicts in the organisation, and support the wellbeing of students.
“Recently I was chosen to take part in the Millennium Fellowship, which is presented by United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network. It’s been such an amazing experience, having the opportunity to learn from and network with people all over the world in a range of fields and with a range of social impact interests. I’ve loved being able to meet and work with likeminded people at Griffith who I wouldn’t usually have the chance to due to our vastly different degrees and campuses. I’ve had the privilege of working with Kimberley Bates and my team members on our social impact project called ‘The Power of Youth’, wherein we’ve interviewed some amazing young people around Australia who have persevered through hardships and are achieving amazing things locally and nationally. I’ve been able to interview some amazing young people who are starting charities and advising their state governments while only in high school! Being a Millennium Fellow and working on my social impact project has inspired me to get more involved in activism and consider how I can positively impact the wider community,” Grace said.
Grace is adamant that none of these opportunities would be possible without the support of her scholarship.
“I live with a chronic physical illness called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS); I also live with mental illness. My health, in addition to my studies, makes it difficult for me to work to support myself. My scholarship allows me to be able to afford the cost of living and my medical expenses, to take time off work when I'm not well, and to fully devote myself to my studies and professional opportunities. I wouldn't be able to achieve what I have academically, or keep my health on-track, all while finding time to support my community, without my scholarship,” Grace said.
Grace will be forever thankful to those who generously offered financial support to her scholarship.
“Receiving that acceptance email was a turning point for me! It wasn't just the monetary support - it was the recognition that I have something to offer to the world, and that I was deserving of some extra support so I could achieve my dreams.
“To those who donated towards my scholarship, I’d simply like to thank you for your altruism and empathy. What may feel like a small act of charity to you has completely changed my life, and the lives of so many others like me. I’d especially like to thank those former scholarship recipients who are now donors themselves – your kindness and willingness to support others as you were once supported is something that touched me and I hope that one day I will be in the position to continue this tradition. I’d also like to thank the Griffith staff past and present who go the extra mile to support students inside and outside the classroom by contributing towards these scholarships – thank you for believing in us and our futures,” Grace said.