The $5,000 Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship was inaugurated at the start of 2016 and is awarded annually to one undergraduate student and one postgraduate student studying at SCU in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.
To be considered, students must demonstrate how they have positively contributed to the student experience on campus, and how they have personally enriched the supportive, multicultural environment that SCU strives to foster.
A positive student experience lies at the heart of this award, named in honour of the late Nathan Asher, SCU Sydney’s first Campus Manager.
“Nathan was passionate about providing students with the best experience possible and he took immense pride in the steady development of the SCU branch campuses. He went out of his way to make students feel welcome when they arrived on campus for the first time. His commitment was extraordinary and he was greatly respected and loved by the student body,” said Dr Jeff Zerbst, SCU Sydney’s Academic Manager.
The true spirit of this award is a testament to Nathan and all the work he did, and with each student awarded, SCU remembers him and his passion for student support fondly.
“The Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship is a fitting memorial to Nathan and a wonderful way to reward high-performing students. Though they will never meet Nathan, they will benefit from an award named in honour of a man who was absolutely committed to their wellbeing and academic advancement.”
One of this year’s Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship recipients, Anna Zhayvoronok, a Master of Professional Accounting student from Russia, had this to say about her award:
“I was very happy to learn that I was selected as the recipient of the Nathan Asher Student Experience Postgraduate Scholarship. I am thankful for the generous financial support. My education has always been important to me, and to be rewarded in this way is amazing.”
“I came to Australia from Russia with my husband and two sons. I had been working as a Senior Tax Consultant in one of the Big 4 audit firms in Russia. It was not an easy decision for our family to leave Russia, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of our life and it has changed our lives forever.”
“By awarding me the Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship, SCU has lightened my financial burden, allowing me to focus more on my studies. I will continue to participate in campus life and to help my friends with their studies as well. I will encourage them to aim high and achieve their desired results too.”
SCU applauds Anna for going above and beyond with her studies, but also for giving back to the student body by supporting others as well.
“By rewarding students throughout their studies, we are incentivising them to get the most out of their time at SCU and to take advantage of the wonderful student support services that SCU’s branch campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have to offer,” said Debbie Aarons, Director of Student Services at SCU Sydney.
This year’s undergraduate Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship recipient, Riya Shrestha, also demonstrates a firm commitment to her business studies.
“I was sincerely honoured to be selected as the recipient of the Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship, which has allowed me to boost my confidence and to pursue a postgraduate degree at SCU, which has always been my dream. Now I am sure that I will be starting a postgraduate degree at a good university that will help me chase my dream job. I am equally motivated and convinced that if I work hard then it definitely pays me well,” said Riya.
SCU would like to congratulate both Anna and Riya for receiving the Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship and for their impressive academic and personal achievements so far.
The next application round for the Nathan Asher Student Experience Scholarship will open at the beginning of 2020. Current international students studying at SCU in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth can apply here if they have achieved an average of 75% or over in their first year and have a proven record of demonstrating leadership and involvement at their campus or in the community.
