• Charles Sturt staff member to sing in Wagga Wagga Takes 2 to raise money to further First Nations agricultural education

Charles Sturt University staff member Mr Brogan Finnerty has had the University’s best interests at heart for almost three years.

Brogan is a full-time fundraiser for the Charles Sturt University Foundation and is using his voice to raise money and awareness for the cause.

Through raising money for various scholarships and research projects around the University, Brogan knows the importance of providing equal education opportunities for all.

He is participating in Wagga Wagga Takes 2 with partner Dionne Crook from Deja Groove to raise money for the Charles Sturt University Foundation.

The foundation fundraises for projects such as the Charles Sturt University Indigenous Agriculture Initiative, Eavesdropping on Wetland Birds research project and the Regional Impact Scholarship Fund.

“If you were to look at a lot of the issues currently facing the world, both locally and globally, we are competing with a lot of challenges, including the spread of misinformation, climate changes, distrust in science, and unsustainable farming practices, that could be helped if people had better access to education,” he said.

“And the key to more people achieving a better education is accessibility to tertiary study.

“Thanks to my role with the Charles Sturt University Foundation, I have a unique opportunity to work with communities to mitigate some of the financial barriers facing our students, The Indigenous Agriculture Initiative is a perfect example of this.”

The Indigenous Agriculture Initiative has been established to address the low participation rate of First Nations students in the study of agriculture and to improve land management practice.

The initiative is divided into two main programs – research and scholarship, which will create pathways for First Nations students in agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness.

Brogan said this initiative is already well-received, with Riverina Oils recently pledging an impressive $100,000 to the program.

The Charles Sturt University Foundation has awarded more than 4,000 scholarships, totalling more than $15 million, to Charles Sturt students since 1982.

“My reason for participating in Wagga Wagga Takes 2 is to bring awareness to the foundation and showcase some of the great work we do for our students, researchers and community,” Brogan said.

“The importance of equal opportunity in education is massive, so being able to participate in this event and raise funds for the foundation is my small way of trying to give back and make a difference.”

Wagga Wagga Takes 2 will be held on Thursday 8, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 April at the Kildare Catholic College Hall from 5.45pm to 11.30pm.

Donations can be made to these initiatives, and more, on the Charles Sturt website.