James Cook University student Ava Kirkby sailed into Cairns recently aboard the Young Endeavour ready to tackle any challenge after 10 days at sea on the Australian tall ship. In her third year of a Bachelor of Sustainability at the Cairns Campus, Ms Kirkby is a recipient of The Cowan Grant Young Endeavour Leadership Scholarship.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me to sail Young Endeavour. It’s been 10 days of learning and adventure, and a great experience,” she said.
“Anyone who is thinking about joining the crew should do it – the voyage pushes all your boundaries. Everyone has a role on board and you work together to sail the ship.
“Thank you to James Cook University and the Cowan Foundation for providing this opportunity.”
STS Young Endeavour during its 2016 Australian circumnavigation
Deputy Vice Chancellor and head of JCU’s Cairns campus Professor Robyn McGuiggan said the Cowan Grant Trust had generously supported students at the Cairns campus since 2009, initially with a bursary for the Marine and Tropical Biology discipline.
“Through the leadership of Chairman Bob Cowan and Director Tiffanie Bulstrode, The Cowan Grant Trust currently supports two scholarships for students at JCU with The Cowan Grant Young Endeavour Leadership Scholarship and The Cowan Grant Experiential Learning Scholarship,” Professor McGuiggan said.
Mrs Bulstrode said The Cowan Grant Young Endeavour Leadership Scholarship funded a berth on the Royal Australian Navy operated sail training ship STS Young Endeavour.
“The voyage is designed to increase self-awareness, develop teamwork and leadership skills and create a strong sense of community responsibility amongst members of the youth crew,” she said.
“It is a unique, challenging and inspirational experience at sea which I was fortunate to have as a student and through The Cowan Grant Trust we want more students to have this opportunity.”
The Cowan Grant Young Endeavour Leadership Scholarship Recipients are:
2016 – Ava Kirkby. Voyage – Airlie Beach to Cairns from July 12 to July 22 2016
2015 – Lucy Graham. Voyage – Southampton (UK) to Aalborg Denmark
2014 – Kelsea Briggs. Voyage – Devonport (Tasmania) to Sydney
2013 – Chelsea (West) Davis. Voyage – Cairns to Townsville