By Karla Price
I grew up in the coastal Queensland city of Hervey Bay with my mum and dad, Mary-Anne and Marty, and my two brothers Sean and Chris. I have always been passionate about photography and filmmaking so when I asked my parents to move me to a school with a better film program, they gave me their support.
Soon enough, I graduated from high school and it was time to move out of my regional hometown. I moved away to Brisbane, where I am undertaking a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in film, and minoring in drama.
Moving out of home is such a big step emotionally and financially, and I had to overcome a lot of hurdles that many students face.
I was sitting at university working on an assignment when I received the phone call to say I had been chosen as one of the recipients of the AVCAT RSL Scholarship, and I immediately called my parents to tell them the amazing news.
My dad, who served in the Royal Australian Navy was so proud to know that his service is providing such a generous contribution to my studies.
This scholarship helps me to afford the cost of living in Brisbane, as well as purchasing new equipment for filmmaking, and editing software so I can continue building my skills. Some of my current projects include a studio game show, a television commercial for a Gold Coast based brewery, and pitching two concepts to an industry panel of producers.
This scholarship has also improved my life outside of university, as purchasing new equipment has allowed me to volunteer as a photographer for a Brisbane based animal refuge, which is an exciting experience that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve without such a generous scholarship.
I can’t thank AVCAT enough for helping me to achieve my goals, and lightening the financial burden of living away from home so that I can continue pursuing my passion.
Karla was awarded the AVCAT RSL Queensland Scholarship in 2019.