Lumen Autumn 2017 - Flipbook - Page 12
story by Ian Williams
Scholarship helps
Phillippa pursue
her passions
University of Adelaide engineering
student Phillippa Radford packs a busy
schedule as she pursues multiple interests
both within and outside city campus.
T
he winner of a 2017 Top100 Future
Leader Award is always on the
lookout for new challenges to
expand her learning and gain important
life experiences beyond university studies.
Winning an Ian Cocks Engineering
Scholarship in 2015 is proving invaluable
in helping her achieve her goals.
“The financial support that it provides
really means a lot more than being able
to support myself through university,”
says Phillippa.
“It’s meant that I can also focus on other
things and gain different experiences and
not always be thinking about having to
earn money to support myself.”
The Ian Cocks Memorial Trust
was founded in 1999 with the aim of
increasing South Australia’s knowledge
base, particularly in the areas of wine
industry technology, marketing and
business, engineering for manufacturing
industries, and tourism.
It was established in memory of Ian
Cocks, the South Australian businessman
and community leader who helped bring
the Formula One Grand Prix to Adelaide
in 1985 and who died tragically during the
Classic Adelaide Rally in 1997.
10 Lumen | Autumn 2017
The Petaluma wine company
contributed $100,000 towards the trust
which today funds two scholarships
to support engineering and wine
research students.
Phillippa, 22, who is studying an
honours degree in civil and structural
engineering as well as a finance degree,
won the scholarship as a result of her
academic achievements.
The financial security has allowed
her to devote even more time to
various engineering organisations
and committees. She joined Adelaide
University Engineering Society in her first
year in 2014 and is now vice-president.
“It’s a role in which I can help other
engineering students find their feet and
make new friends when they start at
university and also encourage them to
pursue other endeavours to keep their
study-life balance,” says Phillippa.
As a committee member of Engineers
Without Borders Australia, she has visited
Cambodia and worked with people in the
rural province of Kratié on sustainable
design solutions.
Phillippa has also represented her
peers in meetings with engineering
school heads to help improve courses
and student interaction.
Outside of university, Phillippa is a
part-time tutor in the boarding house of
her former school, Pembroke School,
where she provides pastoral support and
assistance with homework for students
of all ages.
“It certainly keeps me on my toes
covering all types of subjects from maths
to English and sciences,” she says.
Phillippa says being awarded the
scholarship also helped strengthen
her resume to win valuable work
experience with Arup Australia during
the summer holidays.
“I’m really enjoying experiencing
different things at the moment and want to
keep challenging myself,” she says.
“Whatever field I end up in, I want to be
innovative and involved in problem solving
and also a leader so that I have a role in
inspiring other people.”
Above: Engineering student Phillippa Radford
Photo by Andy Steven
