Gardiner Foundation scholar Hannah Thorson credits the scholarship she received in 2017 as a significant help into her agronomy career.
Hannah received her scholarship, awarded in the name of industry great, Bill Pyle, in readiness for her first year studying agricultural science at La Trobe University.
The scholarship paid for her accommodation and textbooks throughout the three years of her degree, and meant she could concentrate on study.
Hannah’s parents have a dairy farm at Dumbalk in Gippsland.
“I loved living on and helping around the farm,” she said.
“I was keen to study something related to agricultural at university.”
Hannah filled out the extensive application and was invited to an interview panel.
“I felt I learned a lot just from the process of application and speaking to an interview panel,” she said.
“I learned more about and grew in confidence about who I was and my abilities.”
Receiving the scholarship helped her confidence grow even more.
“The Gardiner Foundation gave me the confidence to believe I could have a career in agriculture,” Hannah said.
Since graduation, Hannah has worked as an agronomist in Gippsland.