Sarah Bourke

Sarah Bourke, 2023 Brighter Futures Scholarship recipient

Griffith Business School graduate Sarah Bourke was told she would never amount to anything in life. But this beloved peer-assistance study leader and motor-racing mother of four is proving she’s a force of nature, both in the classroom and on the quarter mile.

Through sheer will, Sarah graduated with a double degree in business and international relations before starting her honours year. During her degree, she won an international award for her peer mentoring to complement her back-to-back runner-up trophies in national drag racing competitions.

Not a bad year for someone saddled with low expectations—but Sarah’s journey from a dead-end job into higher education was never a straight line to the finish.

Struggling with financial hardship, while managing a high-risk pregnancy—and plagued with self-doubt as the first in her family to attend university—she entered an online classroom during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“I felt isolated and found the experience lonely,” Sarah says. “But I made two beautiful friends through the Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) program, who kept me from quitting university after I just had my fourth baby.

“They offered support that went above and beyond. That’s why I’ve invested so much of my time in PASS and giving back to other students—because I understand their plight.”

Sarah says many online students are older and working to support themselves and their families.

“There are parents trying to upskill to return to work,” she says. “Other people just want a career change out of the types of jobs I left to pursue my study.

“I helped a full-time plumber who studied at night after work and came to every session without fail. These people just want a chance to succeed.”

“That’s what set me apart from the other PASS leaders online,” she continues. “I knew what it meant to face these challenges and to make every minute of study you had count. I helped them find their own way to balance a busy life with study.”

During her final year, Sarah reached out for a financial lifeline through the Brighter Futures Scholarship, as the cost of living spiralled and threatened to disrupt her undergraduate study.

“I really needed help,” she says. “The financial stress was mounting and there was a lot going on. I just needed a helping hand to get through it.”

Sarah says the scholarship helped pay for groceries, and a brand-new laptop that—unlike her previous model—would not reset spontaneously during online PASS sessions.

“It freed up more hours in the day, a luxury for me, to study and put all my efforts into being an excellent senior PASS leader,” she says. “I could also be around more for my kids. The Brighter Futures Scholarship helped me in so many ways.”

Sarah says she brings her hard-won life experience and practical mindset to training other students in peer-led mentoring. She’s also been a vocal advocate for PASS, sharing its success stories with prominent public figures in business and government.

Her excellent work and advocacy were recognised by the Griffith Business School and, more recently, the International Centre for Supplemental Instruction, based at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

When Sarah graduated in 2023, she celebrated with the two friends from PASS who helped her through tough times. Reflecting on their shared journey—three women with familiar histories of hardship, looking towards brighter futures—Sarah says it was a significant moment.

“It was beautiful to have the band together in real life,” she says.

Above all, Sarah credits the generosity of Griffith’s donors for giving her the chance to thrive.

“Your donation represents more than just money,” she says. “It helped me have faith in myself, to dream big and believe that anything is possible.”