One of our Class of 2022 top 10 achievers, Teagan McConachy, is the recipient of the Melbourne Principal’s scholarship through the University of Melbourne. She was nominated for the scholarship by MLMC Principal Mr Philip Morison on behalf of the College.
Teagan said the scholarship, a one-off allowance of $5000, means “a great deal” to her, particularly after she was unsuccessful in receiving the University of Melbourne's Hansen Scholarship having made it to the final round of the application process.
“This scholarship will help lessen the burden of having to pay for university and definitely assist me in paying my school fees. Furthermore, it would allow me to spend less time worrying about how I was going to pay the fees, which would mean that I could take part in other activities including club and societies’ events, work experience, hobbies, etc. It is a fantastic opportunity that I am incredibly grateful for, which should hopefully benefit greatly and assist me to learn and develop as a person.”
Schools were invited to nominate one student who has an excellent academic record and a strong contribution to the school or wider community. As part of the nomination, the College had to provide statements addressing the two areas of achievement while Teagan had to achieve the minimum ATAR for the University of Melbourne course preference and receive an offer and enrol in an undergraduate course at the University of Melbourne.
Teagan attended the College’s Top Achievers’ Assembly last week, having achieved an ATAR of 97.45. This month she and fellow Top Achiever Ellie Inglese will begin studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. “I also plan on working part-time as well as volunteering in different events and helping the wider community,” Teagan said.
She said she plans to continue studying to achieve a Masters degree and possibly a PhD. “I also hope to have a career in some area of medicine whether that is pharmacy or some other area. I also hope to do medical research and help design drugs and vaccines.
“One of my biggest aspirations is to one day be able to do medical work at a rural hospital or medical centre. Furthermore, I aspire to help with the research and development of different drugs and vaccines and to learn as much as possible about the human body including its structure and function and how drugs impact our body and fight infections.”
Volunteering in numerous ways and “help myself develop as a person” are also part of her plan.
She said on receiving her ATAR, the first thing she felt was “pure relief”.
“I was so relieved as soon as I opened my ATAR as I immediately knew that I would be able to study my dream course, which I have been working towards for years, as I had met the ATAR requirement for guaranteed entry due to my SEAS Application and ACCESS Melbourne.
“I also felt excitement, happiness and shock at the fact that I had well exceeded what I believed I would have and had scored so high. I was also very proud of what I had achieved and did very well in all of my subjects, which at times throughout Year 12 I did not believe was possible.
“I am also proud and excited that all of the hard work I put in all year was worth it.”
The College wishes Teagan well on the next phase of her journey.
