Today the CQUniCares annual appeal was officially launched where we are calling upon staff and the community to join us in raising support for 25 students in need over 25 days.
In recognition of the launch, this week we put a Spotlight on CQUniCares scholarship recipient Thomas Holland. The Brisbane-based accounting student has been fortunate to receive support from a CQUniCares BMA Indigenous Scholarship which has therefore allowed him to manage study while focusing on a blossoming basketball career. Thomas says studying at CQUni on a scholarship literally changed his life.
What was a recent highlight of your life?
Competing for Australia at the 2017 Under 23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Toronto, Canada. It was such an honour to representing my country at a World Championships and coming back with a bronze medal - definitely an experience I will never forget.
What was the most interesting thing to happen to you while you’ve been studying at CQUni?
I arrived for one of my final ever courses and learned that a previous teammate from wheelchair basketball that I hadn’t seen in nearly five years was in the same course and was doing the same degree but it was the first time we had any classes together and first time I’d met someone I knew outside of uni at uni.
What is the best thing about your CQUni campus?
The location and facilities at the Brisbane campus make it so convenient for transport and access to nearby shops. Because of how close CQUni Brisbane is to central station, it’s easy to catch the train and with Queen St mall being just as close there’s plenty of options for lunch and shopping between classes.
Why should people study at CQUni?
The classes at CQUni are small enough that you get the personal interaction in lectures that you wouldn’t receive elsewhere and because of this personal interaction it allows you to really understand the content and assessment requirements. As well as the personal interaction, the staff at CQUni have experience in their field so you know what to expect when entering the field yourself.
The weekend is free - what would you do?
Relax at home with the family or go watch some form of sporting event.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
When I’m not at CQUni, I train for wheelchair basketball full time at the Queensland Academy of Sport for the ‘Spinners’ Australian Under 23 Men’s team and ‘Spinning Bullets’ Queensland Men’s team.
If you were down to your last $10, what would you buy?
Probably coffee, especially if I had uni or training, always need an energy boost before and after them.
If you weren’t living in Brisbane, where would you be?
Either somewhere in the country or on the coast but still close enough to the city, so I can have the peaceful country lifestyle but access to the city facilities if needed.
Which country in the world would you most like to visit?
Probably return to one of the countries I’ve been to for wheelchair basketball such as Canada or Japan so that I can see it from more of a tourist perspective rather than focusing on competing.
Which major sporting event would you most like to see live?
The Olympics/Paralympics to see so many athletes at the highest level of their sport, especially the basketball and wheelchair basketball.
