Scholarship more than $

PLAGUED with self-doubt, securing the Griffith University Chempro Chemists School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Scholarship, has given pharmacy student, Kelly Meuleman, a confidence boost in a time of hardship.

The pharmacy student from Mackay applied for the scholarship to help her with the costs of setting up a home office to continue her education online.

“I know people might think a scholarship is just about the money, for me, it’s the motivation and encouragement I get when a total stranger shows faith in me,” she said.

“I am often plagued with selfdoubt and wonder if I really am smart or capable enough to be the pharmacist I want to be.

“When you live away from your support system this is tough, so it gave me added confidence when I learned that I was the successful applicant for the scholarship.”

Having initially sought to study pharmacy to pursue a career with Médecins Sans Frontières, Meuleman has shifted her focus to meet the mental health needs of patients in regional and rural Australia through community pharmacy.

Meuleman’s decision to concentrate on mental health followed the tragic news that her brother-in-law took his life.

“When I was told, I also learned that he was the eighth person that week to commit suicide in Mackay. For me that is a statistic that I’m simply not willing to accept and ignited my passion to learn more about mental health,” she said.

“My new purpose in life is to work in regional towns like the one I am from and focus on the mental health crisis that plague these rural areas.

“Life has a funny way of pushing you in the direction you were meant to go and I’m grateful that I was awarded this scholarship so I can focus on becoming the best pharmacist I can be.”