Year 12 Toowoomba State High School student Kaitlyn Cairns has no nerves about graduation, knowing exactly what she wants to do.
Kaitlyn has been awarded two scholarships from the University of Southern Queensland for her tertiary studies in 2019, the USQ Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship and a scholarship from the university’s School of Law in recognition of her contribution as an integral member of the school’s successful mooting team in the 2018 USQ competition. Kaitlyn will study a dual degree in Law and Commerce in 2019 and heads into the course with somewhat of an advantage over her fellow students, having completed the equivalent of a semester’s study before she even starts.
The 17-year old enrolled in her first USQ Head Start course in Year 11 and has now completed another three since her initial unit. She will complete her fifth unit over the summer semester ahead of commencing the course officially in the new year.
Kaitlyn said she always knew she wanted to do a Commerce related degree, but she only discovered her love of Law when she began Legal Studies in Year 11 at Mt Lofty with former barrister Sakuna Jambunathan as her teacher. “I chose Legal and I really started to enjoy it, and about halfway through last year I was really thinking about doing Law as well,” she said. “So I decided to do a Law subject through Head Start to see if I liked it and I did, so I decided to keep going.”
Toowoomba State High School Principal Tony Kennedy said Kaitlyn was a dedicated student and quiet achiever; an ideal role model for the younger year levels.
