Five graduates from one Sunshine Coast high school have received prestigious scholarships for academic excellence from the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Former Mountain Creek State High School students Caitlin Mullane, Zoe Biggar, Sarah Best, Cory McMeekan and Benjamin Murphy were among the 50 new students awarded $12,000 USC Vice-Chancellor’s Merit Scholarships this semester.

The students achieved OP scores of between 2 and 4 and participated in co-curricular activities ranging from martial arts to netball during high school.

They have started in degrees as diverse as Psychology (Caitlin and Zoe), Nutrition and Dietetics (Sarah), Mechanical Engineering (Cory) and Education/Arts (Benjamin).

Zoe said the scholarship had given her a significant financial and motivational boost, and bolstered her hopes of studying at a postgraduate level.

“I was extremely happy and excited – it made me even more eager to start uni,” she said. “The scholarship means that I will be able to continue on to a Master of Pscyhology and go into the field of clinical psychology.”

Cory, who lists surf lifesaving, Brazilian jujitsu and motorbike riding among his interests, said the opportunity to study close to home was too good to pass up.

“USC ticked all the boxes for me,” he said. “I can live at home while studying, the university has modern resources, and it focuses on teaching.”

Caitlin, Sarah and Benjamin added they were grateful and delighted to receive the scholarships and were enjoying settling into their university studies.

— Gen Kennedy