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If you’re looking for compelling evidence that determination and financial help can dramatically change someone’s life for the better, you need look no further than Chelsea Thorn.

She’s come a long way from the New Zealand town of Motueka, where she had to leave high school during her final year to work full time, to criminal prosecuting for the Queensland Police Service on the Gold Coast.

Having never graduated—and lacking an ATAR—Chelsea chose Griffith University for its support, flexibility and willingness to help people with alternative pathways into higher education.

“They helped me with a study plan and worked with me to balance my study load with full-time work,” she recalls. “Griffith staff were very supportive but also practical and compassionate about me taking on a criminology and criminal justice degree.”

Chelsea’s interest and eventual passion for criminal law developed during her studies. She switched midway to a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice because she “was drawn to helping people at their most vulnerable”, she says.

But without the generous support from the Brighter Futures Scholarship fund, Chelsea’s education journey could have stalled again from the rising cost of living and tuition fees.

“As a New Zealand citizen at the time of my studies, I was unable to apply for a student loan,” she says. “I was working full time to pay my tuition fees and studying intensively at the same time.”

But financial pressure was starting to impact her study. After reaching out to Griffith staff about the stress she was experiencing, Chelsea was encouraged to apply for the Brighter Futures Scholarship.

“It was a lifeline," she says. "It allowed me to focus on my education and professional development without constantly worrying about money.

“By using the scholarship to pay for two trimesters of study, I was given the security to continue studying full time without needing to defer.”

Chelsea has used this opportunity to focus on her career development to remarkable ends, volunteering with My Community Legal, a Gold Coast-based community legal centre, and Court Network, a support service for people involved in court proceedings and victims of crime.

Chelsea was eventually admitted as lawyer and spent time practising administrative law with the Queensland Corrective Services as a Graduate Legal Officer. But, she says, working with the Queensland Police Service has been the highlight of her career so far.

“I’ve gained invaluable advocacy experience, working on a range of matters in different jurisdictions,” she says. “My work as a criminal prosecutor is so rewarding and dynamic. I’d like to continue practicing criminal law.”

Outside of the courtroom, Chelsea is also giving back generously to Griffith law students, offering invaluable professional one-on-one mentoring. “I care deeply about supporting law students through their studies because I understand the pressures and difficulties they face,” she says.

When Chelsea reflects on her transformational journey at Griffith, she speaks highly of the support the Brighter Futures Scholarship represents.

“Ultimately, it can be the difference between a promising student graduating or not,” she says. “When I received my scholarship, I felt seen in terms of my academic record—I was worth investing in and capable of going the distance.”