You might recall a recent story we published about Shona Howie, Peel Academy of Sport athlete. On the back of that story Notre Dame University have approached her to apply for their Elite Athlete Program which was an unexpected outcome of our story and a wonderful surprise to Shona.

Notre Dame is committed to supporting Australia’s elite athletes to achieve academic excellence whilst pursuing a sporting career. The Elite Athlete Program is available to student athletes, coaches or officials currently participating in National / International sporting competitions or within a State Institute or Academy of Sport.

Students like Shona benefit in several ways;

– Timetable Flexibility.

– Academic and assessment considerations.

– Negotiate course entry.

– Flexible study arrangements.

Plus, extra-curricular benefits like:

– Networking & Education opportunities.

– Merchandise Item.

– Free access to Notre Dame Staff and Student Gym.

– Subsidised representation at Nationals Division 1 & 2 Events

Max Wason, Sports Officer Notre Dame University said, “Shona is the ideal candidate for the program as she has proven her dedication to the sport”.

Since we were notified of the offer from the University and started writing this piece, we have now found out she has been accepted to the program. Hear what she has to say about the experience so far below.

“Being a part of the Elite Athlete Program is a privilege and a relief. The program allows me the flexibility of negotiating my study, and assessment options. This will allow me to manoeuvre classes around my training to optimise my studies and sporting commitments.

The program allows me flexibility in assessment deadlines if I have competitions that allow me to balance out my sporting and academic life to enhance the likelihood of a successful future career.

The Bachelor of Nursing at Notre Dame is very enjoyable but also highly stressful as our semesters are completed in 8 weeks as opposes to 13 weeks like many of the other universities to allow us the most amount of practical time as possible. This means that we have several assignments due every week and by having classes that clash with training adds additional stress, by joining the EAP this stress is reduced, and I can plan my classes to not coincide with training and figure out a schedule for when I can complete my assessments. I am very grateful for this opportunity to join the program”.

Volleyball WA is proud that Shona is part of our sporting community, she is inspiring generations of future athletes, and we wish her success on and off the court.