The Gardiner Dairy Foundation is pleased to announce four Tertiary Scholarships have been awarded to students undertaking study in 2018.
Jessica Mattern of Tarraville, Madison Gallagher of Heyfield, Georgia Luckin of Heywood and Caitlyn Hocking of Dingee were selected as this year’s scholarship recipients, each demonstrating an exceptional passion and commitment to their local dairy communities.
Each scholar will receive $10,000 annually over three years to contribute towards the costs associated with their studies.
These Tertiary Scholarships help support talented individuals from dairying communities access tertiary education. This investment will ensure a positive impact is returned to the dairy industry through the skills they gain and bring back to the regions.
The Gardiner Dairy Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Dr Clive Noble, said that a strong Victorian dairy industry requires support from strong dairy communities and that a diverse range of skills are needed to ensure this support is delivered.
“Dairy communities need skills in a range of areas such as health, education and agriculture, however there is a huge cost associated with relocating to access the higher education and training required to develop these skills.
“The Gardiner Dairy Foundation Tertiary Scholarships are an important investment in our People and Community Development portfolio. They support the development of young professionals who may not have had the opportunity to pursue higher education and who are dedicated to bringing their skills back to a dairy region in the future,” said Dr Noble.
Successful applicant, Madison Gallagher from Heyfield is studying a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences at La Trobe University, Bundoora, and is excited for the opportunities that the scholarship can provide.
“Thanks to the Gardiner Dairy Foundation, I can now support myself on campus. I am excited to complete my course and the opportunities it will offer me in the future, and I can’t wait to give back what I learn here to the community.
“I am extremely interested in agronomy and the use of biogas systems in dairy farms. It would be fantastic to use the knowledge I gain to help farmers back home get the best from their land and help consult in ways of creating better energy production,” said Madison Gallagher.
Applications for 2019 Tertiary Scholarships will open in August 2018.