For the months of October and November this year, every dollar donated to the Cootamundra branch of the Country Education Foundation will be doubled to a capped amount of $4,500.
The Country Education Foundation is a community-based organisation that provides financial assistance of $500 to $3,000 as well as support to local youth between the ages of 16 and 25.
The initiative primarily motivates school leavers to pursue further education or training through apprenticeship, universities, TAFE or other training providers.
Eligible applicants either live or go to school in the Cootamundra, Stockinbingal or Wallendbeen area and approval for grants is not based on academic ability.
Applicants are more likely to be successful if they can define their educational goals and demonstrate commitment to achieve them despite family situation, geographical isolation or financial circumstances, to name a few.
A past example is Cootamundra student Harry Tiernan who received a grant from CEF Cootamundra.
The committee then nominated him for an additional $5,400 via The Three Rivers / CEF of Australia Grant Scheme.
Harry is now in his second year of a three-year medical science degree at UNSW and plans to complete a post-graduate with honours in dentistry.
Cootamundra CEF Secretary Rebecca Bragg said Harry is great example of a motivated student who plans to study well and return to Cootamundra, to play his part in addressing the nation’s rural and regional medical services shortage.
In 2019, Cootamundra CEF was able to support five successful applicants, this number has increased to nine this year.
“The reason for the difference in number of grant recipients from year to year relates directly to the number of applicants,” Rebecca said.
One of this year’s grant recipients is Jess Harris who was recently presented with a cheque of $2,500 from Greg Southwell of Dawson and Partners, one of Cootamundra CEF’s major sponsors, as well as CEF grants supervisor Chris Main.
For 19-year-old Jess, it comes timely as she is set to embark on a Cabin Crew Preparation course with Aviation Australia, next week.
After completion, Jess will obtain all the required certification needed for her to kick-start her dream career, which she hopes to work for Thai Airways one day.
Being a passive bilingual to the Thai language, Jess said she would be proud to fly for such a reputable airline company.
At the age of 10, the current pharmacy assistant and assistant in nursing decided to make it a goal to become a flight attendant after being inspired by other cabin crews during her many family holidays.
Whilst on flights as a kid, Jess would write down questions she had on the provided notepads, and the ladies would find the time to sit and answer them all.
More recently, one of Jess’ pharmacists encouraged her to apply for the CEF Foundation, which is helping her go a long way.
“The [$2,500] cheque that I was granted, will not only assist me with the fees that are required for the course, but also for my accommodation while residing in Sydney,” Ms Harris said.
“It will make a huge difference, which I am very grateful for.
“[And] once I complete my course, I will start applying for airlines and hope for the best.”
High numbers of applicants studying in diverse fields attracts third-party sponsorship, as every grant recipient is eligible for corporate and philanthropic sponsorships organised through the national committee.
Cootamundra’s Harry Tiernan and Jess Harris are past and present examples of this.
Cootamundra is one of 40 local education foundations across Australia and the initiative first began in 1993 in Boorowa when a group of community members formed to raise funds for students who could not afford post-school training or further education.
Currently, the committee has only received one application for 2021 and online applications close in less than two weeks at the end of October, so all school leavers are encouraged to submit applications at https://cef.org.au/foundations/cootamundra/.
Shortlisted applicants are then interviewed to give them the opportunity to outline their goals and aspirations and demonstrate commitment and motivation to achieve these goals.
With the past year of bushfires, droughts and then a global pandemic, Rebecca is encouraging many to apply to help them to achieve their educational dreams.
“There is nothing to lose by applying and we award grants to the majority of applicants,” she said.
Anyone interested in donating can do so by following this link and nominating Cootamundra to receive the funding https://cef.org.au/donations/
Christopher Tan