Choosing to take a different path can be daunting but it was just this choice, and a willing attitude that helped Brody Hannan secure one of the esteemed Tuckwell Scholarships at ANU.

“When you come from a small country town and you’re thinking about going to university it can be hard to be the only person that walks down that path. But if you put the effort in and you’re really passionate about something you’ll get there in the end,” he said. 

Passion and willingness are very common qualities of our Tuckwell Scholars and this isn’t a coincidence as the Tuckwell Scholarship is very much about giving students the opportunity to realise their full potential if they have desire and determination to make a difference.

Brody echoes these sentiments. “If you’re thinking about applying for a Tuckwell Scholarship you don’t need to be the smartest student with the perfect ATAR to get the scholarship, what they’re really after is people with untapped potential, it’s not necessarily about what you have done but what you can do and finding out what you can give back to Australia,” he said.

Brody is in his first year of a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours). Through this course and his interests in communicating science, Brody hopes to give back to the Australian public.

“I’m really passionate about bridging that gap between rural and city schools. Being exposed to so many different ideas, cultures and people will really inspire me to take a different angle when tackling that problem.”

Another common attribute of a Tuckwell Scholar, is an open minded approach about university life and what to expect from it.

“I see university as a holistic experience and you should take away from it as much as possible. It’s quite a special time in a person’s life. Never again will you have so many passionate, open and understanding young people in one place. You need to seize the opportunity and get involved as much as you can,” he said.