Zonta presents $1500 scholarship award

Zonta Scholarship committee Lyndel Grant, Mary Donohue and Chair Linda McElrea with Humanities scholarship winner Talia Rosa-Denham.

Zonta Blackall Range was proud to present a Scholarship certificate to the first of this year’s awards for women pursuing degrees in higher education.

Talia Rosa-Denham was announced the winner of the $1500 Humanities Award at a dinner meeting recently.

“Talia is in third year of a Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), who had been awarded the scholarship in the area of Humanities. And Georgia Siddals who will also speak to the club when she receives her award, is a science student also at USC,” said Chair of the club’s Scholarship committee Linda McElrea.

“This year, for the first time, we have awarded an encouragement award, to Eve Jorgensen who is at Griffith Queensland College of Art pursuing a degree in Fine Arts, with a major in ceramics and jewellery.”

Talia, in her talk to the club, reflected this as she outlined her goals for a possible future career, following her Law degree, in the area of human rights or an international security related field.

“I had always thought I would go into a career involving science. So I went to the University of Queensland and began a degree in exercise and nutrition science hoping later to undertake postgraduate studies in medicine.

“I decided to volunteer to work in a small hospital in Tanzania as a medical assistant and although it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, it was not going to be through the path of medicine that I would follow my passion for helping people,” said Talia.

Talia subsequently, ‘in a leap of faith’, joined the Faculty of Law at USC and as she says, “I realised that I can’t imagine studying anything else but law”.

In presenting her with her award, President of Zonta Blackall Range Ann Koenig said how impressed she was with Talia’s presentation and her goals. “Now I understand why our Scholarship committee awarded Talia this scholarship that embodies so much of the mission of Zonta International,” she said.

Ann also appointed board member Stephanie Sutherns as Zonta’s representative, with Judi Ross-Smith, on the committee of the ‘Speak up Now’ committee of the new combined service clubs’ partnership initiating a community approach to the prevention of domestic and family violence on the Range.