Scholarships helps teenage marathon runner kickstart health career

TAFE Queensland's 2025 round of scholarships close on Tuesday 30 September, giving locals just one more week to apply and potentially gain the financial support they need to kickstart their studies in 2026.

Now in its 10th year, the TAFE Queensland Scholarship program has so far awarded more than $3.4 million in scholarships to over 720 students – empowering everyday Queenslanders to pursue their vocational education goals and build better futures. And as the latest round of applications draw to a close, the state’s largest and most trusted training provider is encouraging locals who are keen to grow their skills to seize their chance at securing one of the 100 scholarships valued at $5000 that are up for grabs.

Amongst those who have benefitted from the program is 17-year-old elite junior athlete Willem Curwood, who was awarded a merit scholarship in 2024 to complete a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (HLT33115).

“My brother is on a scholarship at a uni in Melbourne, so I know they exist and are worth pursuing,” Willem said.

“Being a high-level athlete, I thought I was a good candidate, so I was very pleased to find out that I’d been awarded the scholarship through TAFE Queensland. It definitely helped me out with the course fees.”

A committed marathon runner, Willem fell in love with running at 14 years of age after joining his local 5km park run. Over time he increased his distance, and has since completed more than eight half marathons, becoming the youngest person to run the Sydney Half Marathon and taking out the under 18 category of the Noosa Half Marathon in 2024.

Willem then went on to run his first full marathon at the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, where he secured the fastest time recorded by a 16-year-old at an Abbott World Marathon Major.

Clearly determined to achieve whatever he sets his mind to, Willem has known from a young age that he wants to do a first responder or frontline type job, so after completing Year 10 he decided to leave school to pursue his chosen career full time.

“My decision to leave was that I could get what I wanted to get faster, and I'm always fast-paced,” Willem laughed.

“I have had a fair share of health ups and downs, as well as injuries from running, and I think that ultimately opened up my eyes to the world of healthcare,” he said.

“My ultimate goal is to become either a registered nurse or a paramedic, but I’m still trying to figure that out. So, I decided to do a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (HLT33115) because I think it's a great way to get a taste of the industry, and it opens up more pathways to further study within TAFE or at university.”

After studying fulltime at the state-of-the-art Sunshine Coast Health Institute, Willem completed his qualification in June and said that it has reaffirmed his desire to pursue a career in healthcare. He is now working to upgrade his qualification to a Certificate IV with the goal of gaining entry to paramedicine in 2026 – a goal that with his proven dedication and determination, he is on track to achieve.

Happy to have had the support of a TAFE Queensland Scholarship, Willem encouraged others to make the most of the opportunity and apply.

“I’d say just go for it. The worst that can happen is you get knocked back, but at least you tried,” he said.

Scholarships can be used to help cover course fees, textbooks, and living expenses while studying any TAFE Queensland course from a Certificate III through to an Advanced Diploma or Bachelor and Masters Degree, across more than 60 campus locations or online.

Scholarships are made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and donors, including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Australian Refrigeration Council, Samford Community Bank (Bendigo Bank), CleanCo, CPL Mylestones, Exemplar Health, Fujitsu, QLD Hydro, Microsoft, Orro, RACQ, and Technology One.