degree at the University of NSW and was last week announced as the recipient of the 2023 Origin Energy Foundation Grant King Indigenous scholarship. Chad is
pictured at the UNSW’s presentation with Grant King and Head of Origin Energy Foundation Michelle Zahra. ▪ Photo
contributed
Cobar’s Chad Buckman has won the 2023 Origin Energy Foundation Grant King Indigenous scholarship to help study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree at the University of NSW, Sydney.
Head of the Origin Energy Foundation Michelle Zahra said the scholarship program was intended to address the under-representation of First Nations peoples in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) based careers.
“Chad Buckman has shown excellent leadership and academic success throughout his high school years.
“That success, combined with his community mindedness and passion for engineering makes us so proud for him to be named this year’s Origin Energy Foundation Grant King Indigenous Scholarship recipient,” Ms Zahra said.
“First Nations Australians were our first scientists and our first engineers and STEM careers are the careers of the future.”
Chad is in his first year of the four year degree.
“The dream is to work in Formula 1,” Chad told The Cobar Weekly.
“I think it’s the pinnacle of engineering, designing the cars.
“Although I still haven’t decided if I want to leap into that with two feet but it’s definitely an option or a career path that would be exciting nonetheless,” he said.
“Engineering could take me anywhere, all over the world. I could end up in a mining town, we’ll see how we go.”
He said the full residential scholarship has helped him “tremendously” and enabled him the opportunity to study at UNSW, his university of choice, which Chad said has the best engineering program…Full story in this week’s edition out now!
