• Charles Sturt scholarship recipient to join nursing frontline to continue to give back to her community

Mrs Annie Jarratt has lived her whole life in Wodonga, Victoria but now the recent Charles Sturt University graduate is moving out-of-state to kick-start her career.

Mrs Jarratt graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing from Charles Sturt in Albury-Wodonga in December and will soon start her career as a registered nurse during a graduate year at Wollongong Hospital from May 2021.

During her first year of study, Mrs Jarratt noticed the scholarships available on the Charles Sturt website and found she met the selection criteria.

In 2018 she received the Excellence Scholarship, Lions Club of Albury Inc. Scholarship and Executive Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence, while in 2020 she received the Jess McLennan Memorial Prize and Executive Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence.

The money allowed Mrs Jarratt to alleviate some of the financial pressures of study and focus on what she loved most – learning and her local community.

“I have always loved learning and always embraced opportunities to learn and upskill,” she said.

“I wanted to study somewhere locally that equipped me with the skills and support to successfully complete my nursing degree, while allowing me to continue volunteering and working in my local community.

“Charles Sturt University was ideally-located and after attending an Open Day, I felt welcomed and confident I would be supported in my academic endeavours.”

Mrs Jarratt said she was able to build a genuine connection with her lecturers while the University’s academic support team made her feel confident writing assignments and referencing.

“At Charles Sturt, I never felt like a number, I felt valued as a learner and supported to achieve and work to the best of my abilities,” she said.

Mrs Jarratt is preparing to commence her career as a registered nurse and is hoping to consolidate the skills and knowledge she has learned as well as build new skills on the job.

“I believe being a nurse is such a privileged position to be in,” she said.

“I hope that I can contribute to a strong nursing workforce that is able to support the physical and mental health of individuals to help build healthy and vibrant communities.”

A full list of scholarships at Charles Sturt is available on the University’s website.