Rhianne Pearce

My name is Rhianne Pearce, a Bachelor of Nursing graduate and former CQUniCares Appeal Scholarship recipient. I’m also a mother of two gorgeous children.

When my daughter was two, she was diagnosed with Leukaemia. We spent a year in Brisbane, away from our home and family to support her in her fight against cancer. She is now in remission and doing well, after two and half years of treatment.

Having a child diagnosed with Leukaemia can devastatingly affect a family in many ways – especially financially. Continuing with my nursing studies in the wake of childhood cancer proved extremely difficult, but I can safely say that my scholarship made it possible. My daughter is also my inspiration - her determination and resilience feeds my own.

My scholarship was a godsend in ways of easing the financial burden while attending clinical placement and residential school. That one phone call to let me know I had been successful made my study, clinical placement and family life so much easier to juggle for the rest of the term.

It’s hard to express just how thankful I am to the donors of my scholarship – what I really want you to know is how much your support has had a positive effect on another person’s life. You are essentially breaking down barriers for students like myself to successfully achieve their degree.