Life changing opportunity

The establishment of a new scholarship, provided by Epworth Medical Foundation, has the potential to change the life of its recipients.

The Epworth HealthCare Indigenous Nursing Scholarship was introduced as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan. The $15,000 scholarship provides support over three years of study plus an offer to undertake work experience and mentoring at Epworth Geelong for the duration of the degree.

Inaugural recipient, Taylah Purcell, is studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin Geelong and she has plans to study Honours, after finishing her degree.

“I believe in always putting others first, when I can. It has always been a passion of mine to help others, as I believe I feel great pleasure in giving another person happiness,” Taylah said.

“I am striving to work as hard as I can at university, to give myself the best possible outcome for when I am finished my study. I hope to travel to a low-income country, or remote Australia, to work in indigenous communities as a nurse.”

Taylah’s dream to become a nurse was solidified after spending 10 days in Cambodia as part of Schoolies With A Cause (SWAC).

“We travelled inland to the Kravanh District, a small village and helped repair a local school/ kindergarten, which included repainting the exterior buildings, building a new fence, new gardens, constructing a new classroom and donating classroom resources and bikes. This experience helped concrete my dreams of becoming a nurse and opened my mind to new ideas, such as travelling to low-income countries, to work in the community.

“I greatly appreciate this very generous donation I have been awarded and will be forever grateful for this fantastic opportunity and I feel extremely proud of myself for winning this great award.”

Scott Bulger, Executive Director Epworth Medical Foundation and Brand, says this new scholarship is an important way Epworth can support indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Diversity and inclusion are very important at Epworth. This initiative will make a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Furthering education is such a worthwhile goal and we are so proud to add this new scholarship to our community philanthropy work.”

Emily Laurie, Scholarship Program Officer at Deakin, said a scholarship can be a life-changing opportunity for a student, providing them with not only financial security, but also allowing them to dedicate more time to their studies and achieving their goals.

“As our communities and industries heal from the changes of 2020, scholarships are an incredible pathway of hope for our students. It inspires them to do their best work as students, so they can go out into the world and give their best to others.”