As classes kick off across campus, Bond University is preparing to welcome a new wave of students awarded prestigious scholarships based on their exceptional academic, sporting or leadership abilities.
Each year, Bond is proud to award a wide range of scholarship opportunities to the best and brightest applicants across Australia.
The Vice-Chancellor's Scholarships are Bond University's longest standing and most prestigious scholarships, with students chosen based on their outstanding academic achievement, exemplary leadership and dedicated community achievements.
For this year's group of recipients, this week marks their first taste of university life.
Amy Hiscox, one of ten students to receive the full-fee Vice-Chancellor's (VC) Scholarship, is accelerating her double-degree in law and international relations, which will take less than four years to complete, significantly shorter than at many universities where a similar degree would take about six to seven years to complete.
"The leadership opportunities at Bond are really exciting. In my second and third years I'm hoping to join the Law Students Association committee and my ultimate goal is to participate in an international moot," said Amy.
"After graduating, I want to pursue a career in International Law. I hope to travel overseas on internships and eventually work for the United Nations on human rights cases."
Fellow Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship recipient, Emma Sam, is embarking on a double degree in law and business, and said she hopes to take advantage of Bond's international networks by completing an exchange program for a semester of her degree.
"I'm planning to join the Bond Student Association to assist with various campus events and would love the opportunity to join the Sony Foundation Camp to help less fortunate kids," said Emma.
"I also hope to go on an exchange to France during my degree to gain some international experience."
Tyus Arndt, one of only 14 Indigenous students from across the country to receive the full-fee Indigenous Scholarship, hopes to pursue a career working in the screen and media industry, and has enrolled to study a Diploma of Communications.
The Indigenous Scholarships were announced following the highly successful Indigenous Gala in November 2014, which raised more than $277,000 to help fund the program.
"Receiving the Indigenous Scholarship will help me secure a future in the creative industries, so I can pursue a fulfilling career that enables me to fuse my love of music and media," said Tyus.
Tyus wowed the crowd at last year's Bond University Indigenous Gala with his stirring rendition of the Christine Anu song, 'My Island Home', and spoke of how proud his family in the Torres Strait Islands are of his journey so far.
"This opportunity has not only had a huge impact upon my life, but also on my family back home on Thursday Island who are all so excited and proud of my achievements," he said.
Kaitlyn Dick, also an Indigenous Scholarship recipient, said studying at Bond was a dream come true.
"Myself and my family are just so happy. Things like this just don't happen to someone like me from Alice Springs. It's just such a privilege," she said.
"Bond has always been my dream university. I love the idea of small classes and having one-on-one contact with my teachers and students."
Rising swim stars Madeline Groves and Alex Graham are also kicking off their studies at Bond this week after being awarded the prestigious Georgina Hope Rinehart Swimming Excellence Scholarship, an elite sporting scholarship that provides opportunities and support to young swimmers to complete their studies while competing at an elite level.
"Bond University already has an array of successful sporting students and alumni, and has a strong reputation for looking after its athletes which gives me confidence I will be supported throughout the course of my degree and career," said Madeline.
Fellow sporting hopefuls Alex Mafi and PJ Van den Berg have big dreams to play professional rugby, and are now one step closer thanks to Bond University's John Eales Rugby Excellence Scholarship.
The prestigious scholarship covers the full tuition of an undergraduate degree for the recipients, and comes with a bonus money-can't-buy: one-on-one mentoring sessions with John Eales.
"John Eales is my role model, he's a living national treasure so it's incredible that I'll be able to gain insight and advice from such a legend of the game," said Alex.
Bond University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford said this year's round of applicants had been particularly competitive, with an exceptional calibre of student applications from throughout Australia.
"Each of the scholarship recipients demonstrates the key qualities of impressive achievements coupled with leadership qualities and a commitment to being an active participant in the wider community," said Professor Brailsford.
"We are very excited to welcome all our new students to the Bond community."
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