Charles Nugent-Young, who graduated from Brisbane's Nudgee College in 2007, is following in his late father John’s footsteps, looking to carry on his legacy by studying to become a lawyer.
It wasn’t always a clear-cut path for Charles, who was first drawn to a career in investment banking when he enrolled in dual Bachelor degrees of Commerce and Law at Bond University.
But since starting his studies, he’s come to the conclusion that his future lies in law.
"Studying law, and being involved in Bond’s mooting competition in Semester One, has made me realise I really do want to be a barrister, and hopefully a QC (Queen’s Council) one day," Charles said.
"I really enjoyed the mooting competition. It’s stressful, and there’s a lot of thinking on your feet, but it’s also challenging and spontaneous."
Charles came to Bond University in January this year, after receiving a Collegiate Scholarship – one of three scholarships the private, not-for-profit university provides exclusively for Nudgee College students each year.
With Bond’s three-semesters-per-year-timetable, Charles will graduate from both his degrees in just three and a half years.
"Being able to complete my two degrees so quickly really appealed to me – it means I’ll only be 21 years old when I graduate, which might even leave time for a year of travel before I hit the workforce," he said.
"I was drawn to Bond because it has the top law school in Australia, and the connections it has with the top law firms will be really important to me in the future. It also has a really exclusive name in Brisbane and its programs are recognised world wide," he said.
Charles looks back on his time at Nudgee College fondly, reminiscing about the school’s great sense of mateship and the "massive sporting culture". A culture he embraced with gusto – playing tennis, cricket, rugby and AFL.
"That community feel is definitely the same here at Bond. Everyone looks out for each other and supports each other," Charles said.
"Here you feel like you’re actually somebody – you’re treated like a person, not just a number.
"It’s also easy to get help if you need it. The lecturers will even make time to help you out with your questions over a cup of coffee at the campus café.
"Academically, university is a lot more intense than school, but every day - every lecture - you can see how what you’re doing is preparing you for the workforce," he said.
But it’s not all work and no play for Charles, who lives just around the corner from the University in Varsity Lakes and makes the most of the many social activities on offer.
"Life on the Gold Coast is great too – I love the Bond nightlife! My social life is a lot better than I expected it would be, and I’ve made friends from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth… all over the place.
"People come from everywhere to study at Bond – it makes you feel that much better about coming here!
"It’s reached my expectations and more," Charles concluded.
Find more information on:
* Bond University's Scholarship Program
* Studying Law at Bond
