Two aspiring engineers will benefit from life-changing scholarships funded by Snowy Hydro to further their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
The two scholarships will be funded by Snowy Hydro for three years, with each receiving $30,000.
The scholarships are part of Snowy Hydro’s partnership with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering’s (ATSE) Elevate program which helps more women and non-binary people access STEM opportunities.
Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said he was delighted to see Snowy Hydro’s partnership with ATSE create life changing opportunities for two deserving women.
“Snowy Hydro believes supporting gender diversity in the sector is important to ensuring a strong talent pipeline of future energy leaders,” Mr Barnes said.
“The reason we joined forces with ATSE was to provide opportunities like this, to make a genuine difference in helping people who might otherwise experience barriers when pursuing a STEM career.
“We are proud to support these two ambitious and talented women from regional Australia as they develop their skills and pursue their academic journeys.”
The Scholarship beneficiaries are:
Courtney Bulgarelli: Originally from Mount Isa in far northwest Queensland, Courtney will be studying Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba.
Jessica Thomson: Originally from Darwin in the Northern Territory, Jessica will be studying a Bachelor of Engineering (honours) at Monash University in Melbourne.
The scholarships will not only support Courtney and Jessica financially but also grant them access to the vast ATSE network, including mentoring, professional development workshops, and 24-hour psychosocial wellbeing support.
ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said both women are worthy recipients having gone through a rigorous selection process which saw more than 250 scholarships awarded from over 1,500 applications received.
‘Partnerships to boost and tap into the skills we need for such important infrastructure are absolutely key,” Ms Walker said.
“Snowy Hydro has a long history as a champion of supporting diversity in STEM and this is the next important step. We are so excited to see this come to life through our scholars.”