Young Students Visit Charles Sturt University

Students from Young were among 34 aspiring country university-goers who visited one of Charles Sturt University’s Wagga, Albury and Bathurst campuses for their open days during August.

The Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) partnered with Charles Sturt University to fully subsidise transport, accommodation and meals costs.

Caitlin Drum, Sophie Grainger and Paul Barrett from Hennessy Catholic College, and Victoria Bragg from Young High School participated in the Wagga trip.

Students took the opportunity to learn about each campus, the courses on offer and all other benefits of studying there.

CEF Manager of Partnerships, Hilary Matchett, who organised the trip, said it was great to give country students, who may otherwise not have had the opportunity, the chance to access the university’s open days.

“CEF are excited to partner with Australia’s leading regional university, Charles Sturt University, to give the opportunity to regional students to access their open days across three of their campuses,” Ms Matchett said.

Students made the most of the experience, from hands-on learning in state-of-the-art labs and facilities to chatting to academic staff about course options and accessing affordable and vibrant on-campus accommodation options.

“These experience camps offer more than a chance to see a university campus; they give regional students the chance to connect with like-minded peers, hopefully, to then become friends for life,” Ms Matchett said.

“Our thanks go to the staff and students at Charles Sturt, who showed incredible hospitality and guidance to our CEF students.”

Cootamundra High School student Logan Johnson took up the opportunity at Charles Sturt’s Wagga campus.

Ms Johnson said she learned a whole lot more about Charles Sturt’s range of degrees and accommodation options than she thought she would discover prior to the trip.

“The Wagga Wagga CSU Open Day opened my eyes to all the different degrees that I hadn’t considered before,” Ms Johnson said. “I had a great day and would recommend to all year 11 and 12 students to attend a CSU open day.”

Charles Sturt University Associate Director, Future Student Engagement and University Events, Lorraine Ryan said its partnership with CEF opened doors of opportunity for aspiring students to immerse themselves in the world of higher education.

“These fully-subsidised experiences not only removed financial barriers but also bridged the gap between dreams and reality.”

“This partnership, a fusion of CEF’s unwavering commitment and Charles Sturt’s visionary support, has not only kindled academic aspirations but has sown the seeds of engagement and aspiration among students.”

“We are deeply committed to supporting our regions and enabling these opportunities.”

Students who participated in the trips also came from Coolah, Cootamundra, Forbes, Gilgandra, Goulburn, Grenfell, Gundagai and Parkes.

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• Education