• Charles Sturt Director of External Engagement in Bathurst and Orange a mentor for the Regional Development Australia Ten4Ten program

Charles Sturt University Director of External Engagement in Bathurst and Orange Ms Julia Andrews is a mentor in Regional Development Australia’s Ten4Ten program.

Ms Andrews recently gave a tour of Charles Sturt in Orange to Orange High School student Miss Abigail Thew, a participant in the inaugural Ten4Ten program.

They were joined by Lecturer in Rural Health with Three Rivers University Department of Rural Health Dr Pip Southwell for a tour of the Community Health building and practical learning spaces.

Ten4Ten pairs 10 emerging youth leaders from Year 11 with 10 community leaders for a two-way conversation and mentoring program.

Ms Andrews said the program is a great way for leaders to engage with young people in an authentic and meaningful way.

She said to truly embody the University’s ethos of having the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in, from the Wiradjuri phrase ‘yindamarra winhanganha’, that wisdom has to be passed on to younger generations.

“Young people, after all, are our future leaders and our greatest asset,” Ms Andrews said.

“It’s been my pleasure to mentor Abigail. She is such an intelligent, thoughtful and invested young woman who is sure to make a positive difference in the world.”

Miss Thew said the program has opened her eyes to opportunities she did not previously know existed.

“Participating in RDA’s Ten4Ten mentorship program has allowed me to learn about opportunities I was never aware of from people who have great experiences to share,” she said.

“I particularly enjoyed my tour of the Charles Sturt University campus. I got to meet and speak to several people as well as gain a better understanding of how universities run.”