- Three Charles Sturt University agricultural studies students are among 20 students from around Australia awarded an AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship
- The students demonstrated their commitment to agriculture, leadership potential, and career aspirations
- The scholarships provide a two-year $10,000 bursary and opportunities to develop their leadership skills and expand their networks
Three Charles Sturt University agricultural studies students have been awarded 2022 AgriFutures Horizon Scholarships to advance their studies and careers.
The three are among 20 students from around Australia awarded an AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship after an extensive judging process focused on the applicants’ commitment to agriculture, leadership potential, and career aspirations.
The Charles Sturt recipients are all students in the Charles Sturt School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences:
- Ms Charlotte Nugent – Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management – sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA)
- Mr Mitchell Salan – Bachelor of Agricultural Science – sponsored by Dairy Australia
- Ms Marieke Hoellscher – Bachelor of Agriculture ─ sponsored by the AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program
Ms Charlotte Nugent from Wagga Wagga said her motivation to study agriculture at university came from the passion she developed for the industry from a young age.
“I grew up on the land and have always had a knowledge and appreciation for the agricultural industry,” she said. “In future I hope to use my degree to work in a marketing and communications career, and one day work in the export sector.
“Being the recipient of the AgriFutures horizon scholarship will bring many opportunities, allowing me to work alongside industry professionals and learn valuable industry knowledge that I will be able to take back to my studies and apply in my classes.
“This opportunity will open many career doors in the future as I gain work experience in the industry.”
Mr Mitchell Salan from Yarragundry near Wagga Wagga said he was thrilled to receive the scholarship and thanked Dairy Australia which will support his Horizon journey.
“I’m so excited to be awarded an AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship, because not only will it provide me with the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, but I will also gain valuable hands-on experience in the dairy industry,” Mr Salan said.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the other students involved in the program, learning more about the challenges and opportunities across the agricultural sector and how I can be a future leader in Australia’s rural industries and communities.”
Ms Marieke Hoellscher from Jindara near Albury NSW was born in Germany where her ancestral family had farmed since the 1500s and at the age of six she moved to Australia with her family where they continued farming.
“I became interested in food security and Australia’s rural industries during Year 12,” she said.
“I then took a gap year to work in northern Australia and got a job with Uluru Camel Tours which started my passion for camels and utilising feral animals in Australia.
“A work placement with Camel Milk NSW in 2021 further cemented my interest in the emerging industries and the role they can play in Australian agriculture’s contribution to feeding the world.”
Ms Hoellscher said she is also interested in carbon farming, regenerative agriculture, and improving marketing and Australian supply chains to sell our export commodities.
“I’m delighted to receive an AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship and to be sponsored by the AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program as it will allow me to gain greater insight into the work of both, and learn of future career pathways in this sector,” she said.
“I look forward to networking with other scholarship recipients and stakeholders in emerging industries and finding out about their struggles and accomplishments.”
Ongoing support from industry sponsors for the AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship Program provides scholars with a $10,000 bursary over two years and opportunities to develop their leadership skills and expand their networks.
The scholarship recipients will attend an annual four-day professional development workshop and complete two weeks of industry placement each year with the support of their sponsor.
The four-day workshop in July will focus on leadership and personal development, and will feature special guest speakers, industry experts, field trips, and provide the opportunity to network, meet sponsors, and discuss innovations and challenges in the agricultural sector.
Read more about all 20 scholarship recipients in 2022.
The 2022 AgriFutures Horizon Scholarships initiative to develop the next generation of rural leaders is supported by seven Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs), the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia, and agricultural sciences company FMC Australia.
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