Two students from Mount Austin High School have been awarded $20,000 scholarships intended to help them jumpstart their career aspirations.
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The year 9 students, Chloe Griffiths and Fatemeh Abbasi are among two others at the school who have been awarded the Harding Miller Education Foundation scholarship.
One of the other students from previous years is Chloe's older sister, Maddison.
"This scholarship is open to students who have experienced hardships," said Sarah Levett from the school's Girls At The Centre program.
"There were a lot more applications this year after COVID."
On May 30, the students will travel to Sydney to formally accept their scholarships but they were informed this week that they had become recipients.
"I was at Kmart printing photos when they called me," Chloe said.
"I was very excited, I called my mum and she got really excited too."
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Given her sister has also received the scholarship, Chloe was under the impression she would not be named this year.
"It's uncommon for two people in the same family to win it," said Ms Levett.
The scholarship includes funding for a new laptop, a tutor, and mentor who will work with the students over four years until they graduate from high school.
Both of the sisters have now received the scholarship, which will take pressure off the family, Chloe said.
"During COVID I didn't have a laptop so I had to use my sister's when we were [learning at] home," Chloe said.
"It was hard for both of us to use it when we needed it."
Meanwhile, Fatemeh was told of her successful application while she was at home, watching television with her family.
"I got the call and I was jumping up and down, I was so excited mum didn't understand what I was saying so I had to calm down to tell her again," she said.
"I thought it was a dream, I was ready to wake up at any moment."
When they finish school, Chloe is hoping to study radiography while Fatemeh has her heart set on becoming a lawyer.
"I want to be a lawyer because when I was young I wanted superpowers, I wanted to be able to fly or turn invisible," Fatemeh said.
"Now I still want to be able to fight for what is right."
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