Kirrily Drew

Kirrily was awarded a Sir John Monash Scholarship in 2001 but deferred her studies for a year to travel overseas.

During that time Kirrily lived in Singapore, where she studied French, Italian and Chinese. “I love languages, so living overseas was fantastic – the best experience I could have wished for,” she said.

“I used the scholarship money to pay off my HECS debt. It’s a relief that it won’t be hanging over my head when I’ve finished studying.”

Kirrily says that being in the Deans Scholars Program offers more flexibility when it comes to selecting your subjects. Another benefit, she says, is that students have access to the Deans Scholars common room. “It’s great having a room set aside just for us. You get to know all the other Deans Scholars.

“I don’t have a path mapped out, but I think I’d like to work for a while, maybe overseas, perhaps Singapore. I could use my languages to gain employment overseas. I would like to travel to Italy to do research for my honours next year.”

Kirrily is an active member of the Christian Union. “I’m a student leader and meet with students one-on-one to offer advice. I’ve been on several camps and will be organising seminars this semester – it keeps me pretty busy.”