A young engineer with a mind for sustainability is one of the recipients of this year’s University of Southern Queensland scholarships.
Madeleine Dobson was joined by friends and family at the Toowoomba campus award ceremony on Tuesday night, where she was presented with one of the coveted Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarships.
After enjoying math and physics at school, Ms Dobson said she had been searching for a way to tie the two together.
“That’s when I came across environmental engineering at the University of Southern Queensland – and really it was a perfect match,” Ms Dobson said.
“Particularly with the pressing issue of climate change at the moment, I was driven to seek a career where I could make a positive impact.
“There are so many avenues I can go down with this degree, so I’m looking forward to taking in all the different experiences while at university.”
Ms Dobson said she had been thrilled when she learnt she was one of the university’s scholarship recipients.
“It was a great moment – I really felt like my hard work had paid off,” she said.
“I had visited the university during one of the open days and immediately picked up on the nurturing, supportive environment.
“The scholarship will certainly help me with my university journey, which will enable me to go further in the future.”
She added that she was looking forward to entering a growing industry.
“Environmental engineering is certainly developing as the world progresses,” she said.
“From what I can see there is a higher demand for sustainability and for companies to be more environmentally friendly.
“My ultimate aim is be able to have a local impact through encouraging sustainability – that would be amazing.”
Ms Dobson was one of a number of students recognised at the Toowoomba scholarship award ceremony on Tuesday. The University hosted a second ceremony for Springfield and Ipswich students at the Springfield campus last night.
