Congratulations to Bachelor of Arts student, Beau Scorgie-Smith, who was recently awarded the Derick Marsh Shakespeare Essay Prize.
This prize is awarded to an undergraduate English student for the best essay on an aspect of Shakespeare's work.
Beau says she tried several different career paths before coming back to her one true love – the arts.
“In my early 20s, I heeded everyone who said an arts degree won’t get you a job,” Beau says. “So, I tried the health sciences, teaching, dental assisting and even real estate. But at the end of every day, I came home to my house full of books that only continued to amass over the years.”
Eventually, she followed her passion and enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe, majoring in Visual Cultures with a minor in Linguistics.
“A Bachelor of Arts encompasses nearly everything I'm interested in and everything I'm passionate about,” she says. “I chose La Trobe because it offered both of those subjects, which weren’t available anywhere else.”
Beau says receiving the Pauline Toner Bursary and the Derick Marsh Shakespeare Essay Prize has been the highlight of her studies so far.
“They have been two of my greatest life achievements, and I owe La Trobe my gratitude.”
Having become a mother at a young age, Beau says returning to study has been especially meaningful.
“I became a mother when I was still young, so finally being at a stage in my life where I not only have the resources but also the self-assurance to commit to a degree is something I really don't take for granted.”
And, she has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
“After I graduate from my BA, I'll do Honours, and then Masters, and a PhD. After I complete a PhD, I hope they'll let me do another one. At this stage, I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going but as long as I'm researching, I'll be in a satisfying position.”
