Griffith University: Architecture student holds the Golden Key to affordable housing
Griffith University Architectural Design student Paula Calixto Egues will receive a 2022 Golden Key Scholarship to help fund her studies.
Born and raised in Peru, Paula moved to Australia over 15 years ago and now lives on the Gold Coast.
Always striving to make a positive impact in her community, the Bachelor of Architectural Design student hopes to design and develop affordable and inexpensive housing to give families a chance to own their own home, in a world where the rising cost of living and housing affordability are locking a lot of people out of the market.
“Being born and raised in Peru, buying a house was out of the question for my family,” she explained.
“Today, I can see more families in Australia and worldwide struggling to afford a home and as the years go by it only gets harder and harder.
“I chose to study Architectural Design because I deeply believe I can help others by constructing sustainable and inexpensive houses that any family can afford.
“My goal is to learn from my experience and studies and to make a positive impact by implementing sustainable solutions and changes in my community.”
2022 has been a busy year for Paula, but the support of the Griffith University community empowered her to encourage other students to strive to make what they do matter.
“2022 has been such a blessing for me. I have received the 2022 Griffith Futures Scholarship, I was admitted to Griffith Honours College, I received the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence in 2021 and became a representative of the 2022 Student Voice Committee for the School of Engineering and Built Environment,” she said.
“I believe education is the key to a better future, and I would love to be part of that. I want to set an example and help students achieve their goals and dreams.
Bachelor of Architectural Design student Paula Calixto Egues
“I am a mature student, and I was a little scared to start university.
“To all those mature students thinking that it is too late to study, I would like to say to them; just do it! It is never too late!”
The Griffith Futures Scholarship is funded by the Staff Giving Program which gives staff the opportunity to give back to the Griffith Community and offers life changing support to students. Griffith University matches contributions from staff dollar for dollar and absorbs the administration costs, which means 100% of the funds go directly to students which makes a substantial impact.
The Golden Key International Honour Society is the world’s largest collegiate honour society for graduate and undergraduate students and the scholarships are awarded to undergraduates who embody the values of strong academics, leadership and service, and postgraduates who plan to use their postgraduate degree to change the world.
Griffith Honours College helps students and alumni apply for prestigious opportunities to further their academic careers, providing support through the application process.