Scholarships give WA students a leg up

The AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship program aims to cultivate the next generation of rural leaders, providing university students studying agriculture or related majors with a major opportunity to learn, grow their leadership skills, and expand their networks.

Each of the scholars is paired with an industry sponsor for the two-year tenure of their scholarship.

The 2024 sponsors include Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Meat & Livestock Australia, Hort Innovation, Marine Bio Products CRC, Australian Eggs, Mt Burdett Foundation, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and AgriFutures Australia.

The students receive a $10,000 bursary to aid with university and living expenses and cover the cost of a four-day professional development program and two weeks of industry work placements each year within their sponsor's industry.

Two Western Australian students were successfully awarded scholarships - Cleo Noonan, age 20, and Jamie Vincent, 19.

Cleo is in her second year of study at Curtin University undertaking a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and is sponsored by Mt Burdett's Rural & Regional Advancement Foundation, while Jamie is a second year Bachelor of Agribusiness student at The University of Western Australia and is being supported by GRDC.

Both students grew up in Perth but have strong connections to the land through their families.

Mr Vincent said he was excited, and a little shocked when he learned about the scholarship and is grateful to be working with GRDC over the next two years.

"I am thrilled to be sponsored by GRDC and hope our relationship can enable myself to learn new things related to our challenges in WA agriculture," Mr Vincent said.

"I think the opportunity to work with the GRDC will be priceless in gaining industry knowledge and experience as well as the exposure it grants to industry leaders and events."

His love for farming stems from spending time on his grandfather, David Vincent's farm at Cadoux and working over harvest with a Calingiri graingrower after finishing school.

"I try to get up there as often as I can, I will actually be seeding with him next week," Mr Vincent said.

He said the reason he chose this particular degree was to allow options for a future career path.

"It's a broader degree in the sense that you can major in agri business and finance," Mr Vincent said.

"I thought it would be a way to be exposed to multiple units that allow me to go into a field after uni that's more specialised, and this degree will be useful to trying to figure out some of the problems we have in WA ag.

"If I was to pick a career it would be a hybrid that combines business, but also getting out in the paddock, I love to get my hands dirty."

GRDC senior regional manager - west, Peter Bird, said GRDC was committed to supporting the next generation of agricultural leaders through programs, like the AgriFutures Horizon Scholarships.

"GRDC has a proud history of supporting talented young people, like Jamie, and the Horizon's scholarships are just one example of capacity programs we invest in each year," Mr Bird said.

"We see scholarships as an investment in people and an investment in the future, which is critical for our industry and a clear focus of GRDC's five-year research, development and extension plan."

Mr Vincent is committed to getting as much out of the next two years as possible.

"The biggest thing for me was to be accepted into the program," he said.

"After the two years I want to come out with a wealth of knowledge, quality knowledge and experience from GRDC so I can leapfrog into the industry, or at least have a bit of a head start on my way to a good career."

2024 is the first time Mt Burdett's Rural & Regional Advancement Foundation has sponsored the AgriFutures 2024 Horizon Scholarships.

Chairwoman Erin Gorter said the organisation was thrilled to sponsor Cleo and to work with her over the next two years.

"She's awesome," Ms Gorter said

"Our founder Chris Reichstein was incredibly passionate about supporting and empowering young people into a career in agriculture.

"The Horizon Scholarships align so closely with Mt Burdett's vision, there is synergy between the two organisations."

Ms Noonan said the scholarship process was a little nerve-wracking but gave her the chance to share her passion for ag.

"We were asked to share our thoughts and interest in the ag industry," Ms Noonan said.

"They wanted to know our thoughts on some of the problems in ag in WA, also what we find exciting about the industry."

Ms Noonan said her dad previously studied at the Muresk Institute and "was always in my ear about ag" and growing up spending time on her uncle's sheep and wheat farm in the Great Southern were contributing factors to her ag career goals.

"At school I naturally gravitated towards biology," she said.

"So when it came to going to uni I thought I love ag, I love the people in ag, I love what ag's about, so being naturally good with biology I thought if I can bring them both together in ag science that sounds like a pretty good deal."

Ms Noonan is extremely grateful to have been awarded the scholarship and especially thanks her sponsor, Mt Burdett's Rural & Regional Advancement Foundation.

"Leadership and networking is so important in this industry and this scholarship allows me to put myself in the room with all these super qualified and amazing ag people," she said.

"Plus meeting all the other people in the scholarship program, making those connections from across Australia and hearing their experiences, will broaden my knowledge."

The WA duo will head to Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, in July when the program officially begins.

They will join the other scholars and participate in the AgriFutures Stakeholder Summit, featuring guest speakers, industry experts and the opportunity to network, meet sponsors and discuss innovations and challenges in the agricultural sector.