2022 NSW Rural Scholarship Winners Announced

Future Women, in partnership with the Offices of the NSW Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth and Women, Bronnie Taylor MP and the Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, Paul Toole MP, have announced the 24 women that will take part in the inaugural NSW Rural Scholarship Program in 2022.

Following the success of the NSW Rural Leadership Scholarship in 2021, this is the second intake of women from regional NSW will take part in the Future Women leadership program. Each of the women, all of whom come from across regional New South Wales, have been chosen after a rigorous selection process to receive the scholarship, which offers access to the coveted Future Women Platinum+ Program, valued at $5,500 each.

The one-year scholarship program kicks off with the winners attending the Future Women Leadership Summit in Sydney on March 7 and 8. Over the course of the year, recipients of the digitally led scholarship will avail of various other networking, mentoring, and learning content and opportunities.

The program is designed to connect driven and passionate women from all ages and backgrounds to assist them develop leadership skills and help them progress to the next stage of their career.

The cohort, made up of small business owners, psychologists, farmers, business leaders, pilots and field workers will have a unique opportunity to connect and learn from each other in a community that actively supports and encourages women to achieve their goals both personally and professionally.

Not only do winners get to join the vibrant Future Women community, all 218 women who entered will also receive a complimentary one-year Gold membership, which gives them access to Future Proof, a year-long career development webinar series, and a 50% discount to attend the Future Women Leadership Summit on March 7 and 8.

Future Women Managing Director and Founder Helen McCabe said the last intake had a big impact on the broader Future Women community.  “The Future Women community is rapidly growing across all demographics and attracting members from across Australia. It’s really special to have a strong contingent of country women in the community. They contribute across the group in a variety of ways. So, we are very excited to meet the members from New South Wales”.

Scholarship winner Dimity Smith, from Tamworth, runs a rural events and marketing agency GRO Events Group. She said “I am honestly so proud to be part of this scholarship. I think after the past few years of drought, flood, fire and COVID, rural women now have this level playing field where they can consider being on boards that would not before have been an option given distance. The benefits we have encountered as a result of technology during COVID has meant the future is a lot brighter – I believe it’s definitely the silver lining out of the past few years.”

The current scholarship holders selected in 2022 are: Amee Denniss, Georgia Campbell, Jemima Erskine, Wendy Gill, Rochelle Longhurst, Georgia Hunt, Jessica Murray, Michelle Pryse Jones, Cheryl Knight, Zelda Chambers, Candace Prudham, Harriet Mellish, Roseanne Powell, Ruby Riethmuller, Franka Friedrichs-Borkovic, Kim Waterhouse, Elle Purvis, Catherine Fowler, Sheerien Salindera, Chanel Melani, Dimity Smith, Katherine Sherrie, Phoebe Wood and Karlee Johnson.

Previous winners in 2021 were: Grace Ridge, Linda Masaoka, Rosa Maidment, Anna Barwick, Saba Nabi, Chantelle Hamilton, Carolina Merriman, Rebel Black, Jaygan McClenaghan, Rebecca Duffy, Traci Bevern, Simone Hyde, Zoe Young, Hannah Bourke, Dr Amy Derrick, Kylie Morrow, Julia Foyster, Edwina Sharrock, Meagan Kennedy, Shelley Hollingworth, Katie McDonough, Olivia Harris, Alice Williams and Mahlah Grey.