Trust in the future

A new partnership between SACOME, the South Australian Government and the Playford Trust has created a $2 million scholarship program offering 20 two-year scholarships, valued at $20,000 each, for students enrolling in mining and petroleum engineering at the University of Adelaide over the next five years.

 

 

Since Year 10, Harry Parker has known he wanted a career in engineering: he just wasn’t sure which field to go into. Then an open day at University of Adelaide in Year 11 opened his eyes to petroleum engineering. “I like the fact it is industry-based so it’s different to going down the electrical or mechanical engineering route,” he says. “When I spoke to a few graduates at the open day, they said they enjoyed that aspect as well.”

 

Parker started his degree course at University of Adelaide earlier this year. “I’m enjoying every week of the course: it’s a bit different studying at home (due to coronavirus restrictions) but I still feel motivated to do it every day,” he says. 

Part of that motivation comes from the pride

he feels in being a Playford Trust Scholarship recipient. “It keeps me focused on what I need to do over the next four years,” the 19-year-old says. “And, financially, it makes a huge difference: I’m using it to pay for course books and putting it towards my HECS debt, which will be easier to manage at the end of my studies.”

 

Parker is as yet undecided which career path he will follow upon graduation but hopes to be able to take advantage of any opportunities to work in different countries. “That’s part of what gained my interest in petroleum engineering,” he says. “I’m not particularly set on any country at this stage: just anywhere around the world would be pretty cool.”