Twenty-five talented students named Tuckwell Scholars

A maths tutor who teaches disadvantaged people to swim and a software developer who has raised money for cancer research are two of the 25 outstanding students named as Tuckwell Scholars at The Australian National University (ANU).

The new scholars, a majority from state schools, have been selected from 690 applicants and will start their studies at ANU in February 2020.

Hailing from every corner of Australia, from Darwin to Hobart and Perth to Moruya, each scholar will receive up to $25,000 per year over five years for their study costs.

The 2020 cohort will also participate in a social and academic enrichment program of designed by current Tuckwell Scholars and which includes mentoring and skills development.

Now in its seventh year, The Tuckwell Scholarship is founded by the generous philanthropy of Graham and Louise Tuckwell.

Their vision is to help talented and motivated students through university and inspire them to fulfil their potential and use their knowledge, skills and experience to benefit others.

"We are thrilled to support another 25 outstanding young people from around the country in coming together to study at ANU and learn from each other," said founder Louise Tuckwell.

"The accomplishments, dynamism, and commitment of the candidates selected are inspiring for all involved with the program. They've all worked so hard to get to this point, and we look forward to supporting their bright futures."

The 2020 cohort also includes a dancer who helps girls engage with robotics, a Taekwondo black belt who co-chairs a local youth council, an aspiring doctor who ran a respite camp for children with severe disabilities, and a musician whose compositions have been broadcast on ABC radio.

"This scholarship is all about giving smart and talented people the opportunity to thrive so that they, in turn, can make great contributions to others in the future," said founder Graham Tuckwell.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the scholars came from an amazingly diverse set of backgrounds.

"These students are a constant reminder of the talent spread across Australia, how scholarships can change someone's path in life," he said.

"As the national university, we want ANU to be the place they call home, the place they discover their passion and the place they come to change the world - any way that they see it."

Since 2013, the Tuckwell Scholarship program has supported 118 scholars and 23 alumni.