Shannon said she felt 'so amazingly lucky' to be receiving the scholarship.

"Obviously when I applied for the scholarship I was really hoping I would have a chance at being the recipient, but knowing the friends and peers I was up against I didn't know how great my chances would be," she said.

"I felt so lucky to even make it to the interview stage, and receiving the scholarship brought me to happy tears."

The scholarship funds will mainly be split between university tuition fees, the cost of textbooks and the travel costs of the commute to Bathurst, as well as things like stationary and printing.

"I am so excited to study education, it is something I have always had some idea of knowing it is the career I want to pursue, and the waiting game has made me so much more eager to get started," she said.

READ MORE: Dedicated emergency department nurse Heather Charlton celebrates 40 years

"I have always had a passion for my own learning and education guided by some amazing teachers in both my primary and secondary education.

"In my senior years especially, knowing the time and effort my own teachers put in to my education was a huge encouragement to reciprocate the same efforts when I was to become a teacher in the future."

Teaching also runs in the family, with Shannon's mother working at St Patrick's Primary in Lithgow.

"I have also had the privilege of seeing my own mum pour her heart into the education of her students for the past six years," she said.

"Watching her throughout her teaching career has helped me to grow my understanding that teaching is not just a job, it truly is a career and a vocation, and I am so excited to start my own journey as a teacher."

READ MORE: End of an era for Eddie Morgan as he retires after 64 years in mining

Scholarship secretary Helen Lee said it had been a challenging year for everyone.

"For those sitting the Higher School Certificate in 2020, it was even more stressful as face-to-face teaching was not possible for part of the year and students had to adapt to a new way to learn and the uncertainty of when school would return to 'normal'," she said.

"When we conducted our interviews in September, we heard first hand how the students - both those doing their Higher School Certificate and those who were studying at University were coping under those difficult conditions.

"It seemed that they were all up for the challenge and we were very impressed with their attitude and their resilience."

Shannon was the School Captain at La Salle Academy in 2020 and also involved herself in many aspects of school life, including debating, choir, presentations at school assemblies, fundraising and Catholic Schools Youth Ministry.

READ MORE: Lachi sharpens his focus ahead of Tokyo Olympics

During 2019, she was chosen to represent the school at a NSW Government function at the Lithgow Workies Club as well as at the Lasallian Tercentenary celebrations in Sydney.

Since 2014, Shannon has been a member of the Lithgow Musical Society, appearing in two musicals each year, including taking leading roles in some of those musicals.

In 2018, she was awarded the Greater Lithgow Arts Council Cultural Award in the Senior Student section for her contribution to the Musical Society. She was also awarded 'Best New Talent' at the Bathurst Eisteddfod in 2019.

Shannon has played Netball for eight years and holds a national C umpiring badge.

In 2020, she was awarded the Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award for the Calare electorate.

"The Trustees offer their warmest congratulations to Shannon," Helen said.

Each year, the Hoskins Lithgow Scholarship offers an amount of up to $30,000 to a Lithgow Local Government Area resident who is an Australian citizen under the age of 26 to assist with a tertiary course of study.

The Trustees are looking forward to receiving applications for the 2022 scholarship in July/August this year.

Applications for the 2022 scholarship open on Monday, July 12.

Further details regarding the scholarship and the application process are available on the Hoskins Lithgow Scholarship website here.

Subscribing means more than just website access. Read the print paper online, enter giveaways and more for just $2 a week, cheaper than a coffee. What are you waiting for?